TR 


MY   LADY    ROTHA 


BY 

STANLEY  J.  WEYMAN 


THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WOLF.  A  Romance. 
With  Frontispiece  and  Vignette  by  CHARLES 
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A  GENTLEMAN  OF  FRANCE.  Being  the  Me- 
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New  York:    LONGMANS,   GREEN,   &  Co. 


ir  ,*, 


/ 


•25- 


Death  of  Tzerclas.— p.  368. 


MY    LADY    ROTHA 


a  Romance 


BY 

STANLEY  j;  ApYMAN 


AUTHOR  OF 


"A  GENTLEMAN  OF  FRANCE,"  "UNDER  THE  RED  ROBE," 
*•  THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WOLF,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 

LONGMANS,  GREEN,  AND  CO. 
189* 


COPYRIGHT,  1894, 
BY  STANLEY  J.  WEYMAN. 


All  rights  reserved. 


FIRST  EDITION,  AUGUST,  1894. 

SECOND  EDITION,  SEPTEMBER,  1894. 

THIRD  EDITION,  JULY,  1895. 


TROW   DIRECTOBV 

HINTING  AND  BOOKB'NOING  COMPANY 
NiW  YORK 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    HERITZBURG ....  i 

II.    THE  COUNTESS  ROTHA 12 

III.  THE  BURGOMASTER'S  DEMAND 24 

IV.  THE  FIRE  ALIGHT 33 

V.     MARIE  WORT 44 

VI.    RUPERT  THE  GREAT 54 

VII.    THE  PRIDE  OF  YOUTH 65 

VIII.    A  CATASTROPHE 76 

IX.    WALNUTS  OF  GOLD ,    .    .    .  88 

X.    THE  CAMP  IN  THE  FOREST 97 

XI.    STOLEN 105 

XII.    NEAR  THE  EDGE 119 

XIII.  OUR  QUARTERS 128 

XIV.  THE  OPENING  OF  A  DUEL 139 

XV.    THE  DUEL  CONTINUED 154 

XVI.    THE  GENERAL'S  BANQUET 161 

XVII.    STALHANSKE'S  FINNS       173 

XVIII.    A  SUDDEN  EXPEDITION 185 

XIX.    IN  A  GREEN  VALLEY      193 

XX.    MORE  HASTE,  LESS  SPKED 206 

XXI.    AMONG  THE  WOUNDED 217 

XXII.    GREEK  AND  GREEK 226 

XXIII.    THE  FLIGHT 241 

XXIV.    MISSING 252 

XXV.     NUREMBERG , 259 


vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XXVI.  THE  FACE  AT  THE  WINDOW ,271 

XXVII.  THE  HOUSE  IN  THE  CHURCHYARD 283 

XXVIII.  UNDER  THE  TILES 290 

XXIX.  IN  THE  HOUSE  BY  ST.  AUSTIN'S 302 

XXX.  THE  END  OF  THE  DAY 313 

XXXI.  THE  TRIAL 322 

XXXII.  A  POOR  GUERDON 7    .    o    .    .    .    .  335 

XXXIII.  Two  MEN 343 

XXXIV.  SUSPENSE 353 

XXXV.  ST.  BARTHOLOMEW'S  DAY 360 

XXXVI.  A  WINGLESS  CUPID 375 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


DEATH  OF  TZERCLAS Frontispiece 

TO   FACE   PAGE 

.     .     .    SHE  CAME  PRESENTLY  TO  ME  WITH  A  BOWL  OF  BROTH 

IN  HER  HANDS  AND  A  TIMID  SMILE  ON  HER  LIPS    ...       53 

.     .     .     WITH  HER  OWN  HANDS  SHE  DROVE  THE  NAIL.     .     .     . 

THEN  SHE  TURNED    75 

.     .     .     LUDWIG,   ALL  HIS  INDIFFERENCE  CAST  TO  THE  WINDS, 

CONTINUED  TO  STAMP  AND  SCREAM    117 

THE  GENERAL  WAITED  ON  HER  WITH  THE  UTMOST  ATTENTION, 

RIDING    BY    HER    BRIDLE-REIN       igO 

WE   WERE  ALONE.      ...       I    WHISPERED   IN     HER   EAR      .      .      .      25! 

BEFORE  I  COULD    RECOVER  MYSELF  A  PAIR  OF  STRONG  ARMS 

CLOSED    ROUND    MINE    AND   BOUND    THEM    TO   MY    SIDES 30! 

BUT    WITH    ALL — SHE  CONTROLLED   HERSELF.      SHE   ROSE  STIFFLY 

FROM    HER    SEAT 332 


MY    LADY    ROTHA. 


CHAPTER   I. 

HEBITZBUKG. 

I  NEVER  saw  anything  more  remarkable  than  the  change 
which  the  death  of  my  lady's  uncle,  Count  Tilly,  in  the 
spring  of  1632,  worked  at  Heritzburg.  Until  the  day 
when  that  news  reached  us,  we  went  on  in  our  quiet 
corner  as  if  there  were  no  war.  We  heard,  and  some  of 
us  believed,  that  the  Palatine  Elector,  a  good  Calvinist 
like  ourselves,  had  made  himself  King  of  Bohemia  in  the 
Emperor's  teeth ;  and  shortly  afterwards  —  which  we  were 
much-more  ready  to  believe  —  that  he  was  footing  it  among 
the  Dutchmen.  We  heard  that  the  King  of  Denmark  had 
taken  up  his  cause,  but  taken  little  by  the  motion;  and 
then  that  the  King  of  Sweden  had  made  it  his  own.  But 
these  things  affected  us  little :  they  were  like  the  pattering 
of  the  storm  to  a  man  hugging  himself  by  the  fireside. 
Through  all  we  lay  snug  and  warm,  and  kept  Christmas 
and  drank  the  Emperor's  health.  Even  the  great  sack  of 
Magdeburg,  which  was  such  an  event  as  the  world,  I  believe, 
will  never  see  again,  moved  us  less  to  fear  than  to  pity ; 
though  the  city  lies  something  less  than  fifty  leagues  north- 
east of  us.  The  reason  of  this  I  am  going  to  tell  you. 

Our  town  stands,  as  all  men  know,  in  a  nook  of  the  Thu- 
ringian  Forest,  facing  south  and  west  towards  Hesse,  of  which 
my  Lady  Rotha,  Countess  of  Heritzburg,  holds  it,  though  all 
the  land  about  is  Saxon,  belonging  either  to  Coburg,  or  Wei- 

1 


2  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

mar,  or  Altenburg,  or  the  upper  Duchy.  On  the  north  and 
east  the  forest  rises  in  rolling  black  ridges,  with  a  grey  crag 
shooting  up  spire-like  here  and  there ;  so  that  from  this  quar- 
ter it  was  not  wonderful  that  no  sound  of  war  reached  us. 
Toward  the  south  and  west,  where  is  the  mouth  of  the  val- 
ley, and  whither  our  people  point  when  they  talk  of  the 
world,  a  spur  of  the  mountain  runs  down  on  either  side  to 
the  Werra,  which  used  to  be  crossed  at  this  point  by  a 
wooden  bridge.  But  this  bridge  was  swept  away  by  floods 
in  the  winter  of  1624,  and  never  repaired  as  long  as  the  war 
lasted.  Henceforth  to  come  to  Heritzburg  travellers  had 
to  cross  in  old  Joachim's  boat,  or  if  the  river  was  very  low, 
tuck  up  and  take  the  chances.  Unless  they  came  by  forest 
paths  over  the  mountains. 

Such  a  position  favoured  peace.  Our  friends  could  not 
easily  trouble  us;  our  allies  were  under  no  temptation  to 
quarter  troops  upon  us.  For  our  enemies,  we  feared  them 
even  less.  Against  them  we  had  a  rampart  higher  than  the 
mountains  and  wider  than  the  Werra,  in  the  name  of  Tilly. 
In  those  days  the  name  of  the  great  Walloon,  victor  in 
thirty  fights,  was  a  word  to  conjure  with  from  the  Tyrol  to 
the  Elbe.  Mothers  used  it  to  scare  their  children,  priests 
to  blast  their  foes.  His  courage,  his  cruelty,  and  his  zeal 
for  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  combined  to  make  him  the 
terror  of  the  Protestants,  while  his  strange  personality 
and  mis-shapen  form  gave  rise  to  a  thousand  legends,  which 
men  still  tell  by  the  fireside. 

I  think  I  see  him  now  —  as  I  did  see  him  thrice  in  his 
lifetime  —  a  meagre  dwarfish  man  with  a  long  face  like  a 
horse's  face,  and  large  whiskers.  He  dressed  always  in 
green  satin,  and  wore  a  small  high-peaked  hat  on  his  huge 
wrinkled  forehead.  A  red  feather  drooped  from  it,  and 
reached  to  his  waist.  At  first  sight  one  took  him  for  a 
natural ;  for  one  of  those  strange  monstrosities  which 
princes  keep  to  make  them  sport ;  but  a  single  glance 
from  his  eyes  sent  simple  men  to  their  prayers,  and  cowed 
alike  plain  burgher  and  wild  Croat.  Few  loved  him,  all 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  3 

feared  him.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  he  had  no  shadow, 
but  I  can  testify  of  my  own  knowledge  and  not  merely  for 
the  honour  of  the  family  that  this  was  false. 

He  was  brother  to  my  lady's  mother,  the  Countess 
Juliana.  At  the  time  of  the  match  my  late  lord  was 
thought  to  have  disparaged  his  blood  by  mating  with  a 
Flemish  lady  of  no  more  than  gentle  family.  But  as 
Count  Tilly  rose  in  the  world  first  to  be  commander  of  the 
Bavarian  armies  and  later  to  be  Generalissimo  of  the  forces 
of  the  Empire  and  a  knight  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  we  heard 
less  and  less  of  this.  The  sneer  lost  its  force  until  we 
became  glad,  Calvinists  though  we  were,  to  lie  secure  under 
his  shadow;  and  even  felt  a  shamed  pride  in  his  prowess. 

When  my  lord  died,  early  in  the  war,  leaving  the  county 
of  Heritzburg  to  his  only  chilcb,  the  protection  we  derived 
in  this  way  grew  more  and  more  valuable.  We  of  Heritz- 
burg, and  we  only,  lost  nothing  by  the  war,  except  a  parcel 
of  idle  fellows,  of  whom  more  hereafter.  Our  cows  came 
lowing  to  their  stalls,  our  corn  full  weight  to  the  granary. 
We  slept  more  safely  under  the  distaff  than  others  under 
the  sword ;  and  all  because  my  lady  had  the  right  to  wear 
among  her  sixteen  quarterings  the  coat  of  Tilly. 

Some  I  know,  but  only  since  his  death,  have  cried  shame 
on  us  for  accepting  his  protection.  They  profess  to  think 
that  we  should  have  shut  our  gates  on  the  Butcher  of 
Magdeburg,  and  bidden  him  do  his  worst.  They  say  that 
the  spirit  of  the  old  Protestants  is  dead  within  us,  and  that 
it  is  no  wonder  the  cause  lies  languishing  and  Swedes  alone 
fight  single-eyed.  But  those  who  say  these  things  have 
seldom,  I  notice,  corn  or  cows:  and  moreover,  as  I  have 
hinted,  they  kept  a  very  still  tongue  while  Tilly  lived. 

There  is  our  late  Burgomaster,  Hofman,  for  instance, 
he  is  given  to  talking  after  that  fashion ;  and,  it  is  true, 
he  has  plenty,  though  not  so  much  since  my  lady  fined  him. 
But  I  well  remember  the  last  time  Tilly  visited  us.  It  was 
after  the  fall  of  Magdeburg,  and  there  was  a  shadow  on  his 
grim  countenance,  which  men  said  never  left  it  again  until 


4  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

che  day  when  the  cannon-shot  struck  him  iu  the  ford  of  the 
Lech,  and  they  carried  him  to  Ingolstadt  to  die.  As  he 
rode  under  the  arch  by  the  Red  Hart  people  looked 
strangely  at  him  —  for  it  was  difficult  to  forget  what  he 
had  done  —  as  if,  but  for  the  Croats  in  the  camp  across 
the  river,  they  would  have  torn  him  from  his  horse.  But 
who,  I  pray  you,  so  polite  that  day  as  Master  Hofman? 
Who  but  he  was  first  to  hold  the  stirrup  and  cry,  Hail  ? 
It  was  '  My  Lord  Count '  this,  and  '  My  Lord  Count '  that, 
until  the  door  closed  on  the  crooked  little  figure  and  the 
great  gold  spurs.  And  then  it  was  the  same  with  the 
captain  of  the  escort.  Faugh !  I  grow  sick  when  I  think 
of  such  men,  and  know  that  they  were  the  first  to  turn 
round  and  make  trouble  when  the  time  came,  and  the  old 
grey  wolf  was  dead.  For  my  part  I  have  always  been  my 
lady's  man  since  I  came  out  of  the  forest  to  serve  her.  It 
was  enough  for  me  that  the  Count  was  her  guest  and  of  her 
kin.  But  for  flattering  him  and  putting  myself  forward  to 
do  him  honour,  I  left  that  to  the  Hofmans. 

However,  the  gloom  we  saw  on  Tilly's  face  proved  truly 
to  be  the  shadow  of  coming  misfortune  ;  for  three  weeks 
after  he  left  us,  was  fought  the  great  battle  of  Breitenfeld. 
Men  say  that  the  energy  and  decision  he  had  shown  all  his 
life  forsook  him  there ;  that  he  hesitated  and  suffered  him- 
self to  be  led  by  others ;  and  that  so  it  was  from  the  day  of 
Magdeburg  to  his  death.  This  may  be  true,  I  think,  for 
he  had  the  blood  of  women  and  children  on  his  head ;  or  it 
may  be  that  at  last  he  met  a  foeman  worthy  of  his  steel. 
But  in  either  case  the  news  of  the  Swede's  victory  rang 
through  North  Germany  like  a  trumpet  call.  It  broke 
with  startling  abruptness  the  spell  of  victory  which  had 
hitherto  —  for  thirteen  long  years  —  graced  the  Emperor's 
flag  and  the  Roman  Church.  In  Hesse,  to  the  west  of  us, 
where  the  Landgrave  William  had  been  the  first  of  all 
German  Princes  to  throw  in  his  lot  with  the  Swedes  and 
defy  the  Emperor,  it  awoke  such  a  shout  of  jubilation  and 
vengeance  as  crossed  even  the  Werra;  while  from  the 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  5 

Saxon  lands  to  the  east  of  us,  which  this  victory  saved 
from  spoliation  and  punishment,  came  an  answering  cry  of 
thankfulness  and  joy.  Even  in  Heritzburg  it  stirred  our 
blood.  It  roused  new  thoughts  and  new  ambitions.  We 
were  Protestants ;  we  were  of  the  north.  Those  who  had 
fought  and  won  were  our  brethren. 

And  this  was  right.  Nor  for  a  time  did  I  see  anything 
wrong  or  any  sign  of  mischief  brewing ;  though  tongues  in 
the  town  wagged  more  freely,  as  the  cloud  of  war  rolled 
ever  southward  and  away  from  us.  But  six  months  later 
the  news  of  Count  Tilly's  death  reached  us.  Then,  or  it 
might  be  a  fortnight  afterwards  —  so  long  I  think  respect 
for  my  lady's  loss  and  the  new  hatchment  restrained  the 
good-for-naughts  —  the  trouble  began.  How  it  arose,  and 
what  shape  it  took,  and  how  I  came  athwart  it,  I  am  going 
to  tell  you  without  further  preface. 

It  was  about  the  third  Monday  in  May  of  that  year,  1632. 
A  broken  lock  in  one  of  the  rooms  at  the  castle  had  baffled 
the  skill  of  our  smith,  and  about  nightfall,  thinking  to  take 
a  cup  of  beer  at  the  Red  Hart  on  my  way  back,  I  went 
down  to  Peter  the  locksmith's  in  the  town.  His  forge 
stands  in  the  winding  lane,  which  joins  the  High  Street 
at  the  Red  Hart,  after  running  half  round  the  town  inside 
the  wall ;  so  that  one  errand  was  a  fair  excuse  for  the 
other.  When  I  had  given  him  his  order  and  come  out 
again,  I  found  that  what  with  the  darkness  of  the  lane  and 
the  blaze  ot  his  fire  which  had  got  into  my  eyes,  I  could 
not  see  a  yard  before  me.  A  little  fine  rain  was  falling 
with  a  chilly  east  wind,  and  the  town  seemed  dead.  The 
pavement  felt  greasy  under  foot,  and  gave  out  a  rank  smell. 
However,  I  thought  of  the  cheery  kitchen  at  the  Red  Hart 
and  stumbled  along  as  fast  as  I  could,  until  turning  a 
corner  I  came  in  sight  of  the  larithorn  which  hangs  over 
the  entrance  to  the  lane. 

I  saw  it,  but  short  of  it,  something  took  and  held  my  eye : 
a  warm  stream  of  light,  which  shone  across  the  path,  and 
fell  brightly  on  the  rough  surface  of  the  town-wall.  It 


6  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

came  from  a  small  window  on  my  left.  I  had  to  pass  close 
beside  this  window,  and  out  of  curiosity  I  looked  in.  What 
I  saw  was  so  surprising  that  I  stopped  to  look  again. 

The  room  inside  was  low  and  small  and  bare,  with  an 
earthen  floor  and  no  fireplace.  On  a  ragged  pallet  in  one 
corner  lay  an  elderly  man,  to  whose  wasted  face  and  pallid 
cheeks  a  long  white  moustache,  which  strayed  over  the 
coverlet,  gave  an  air  of  incongruous  fierceness.  His  bright 
eyes  were  fixed  on  the  door  as  if  he  listened.  A  child, 
three  or  four  years  old,  sat  on  the  floor  beside  him,  playing 
with  a  yellow  cat. 

It  was  neither  of  these  figures,  however,  which  held  my 
gaze,  but  that  of  a  young  girl  who  knelt  on  the  floor  near 
the  head  of  the  bed.  A  little  crucifix  stood  propped  against 
the  wall  before  her,  and  she  had  a  string  of  beads  in  her 
hands.  Her  face  was  turned  from  me,  but  I  felt  that  her 
lips  moved.  I  had  never  seen  a  Humanist  at  prayer  before, 
and  I  lingered  a  moment,  thinking  in  the  first  place  that 
she  would  have  done  better  had  she  swung  the  shutter 
against  the  window;  and  in  the  next,  that  with  her  dark 
hair  hanging  about  her  neck  and  her  head  bent  devoutly, 
she  looked  so  weak  and  fragile  that  the  stoutest  Protestant 
could  not  have  found  it  in  his  heart  to  harm  her. 

Suddenly  a  noise,  which  dully  reached  me  where  I  stood 
outside  the  casement,  caused  her  to  start  in  alarm,  and  turn 
her  head.  At  the  same  moment  the  cat  sprang  away  af- 
frighted, and  the  man  on  the  bed  stirred  and  tried  to  rise. 
This  breaking  the  spell,  I  stole  quietly  away  and  went 
round  the  corner  to  the  door  of  the  inn. 

Though  I  had  never  considered  the  girl  closely  before, 
I  knew  who  she  was.  Some  eight  months  earlier,  while 
Tilly,  hard  pressed  by  the  King  of  Sweden,  still  stood  at 
bay,  keeping  down  Saxony  with  one  hand,  and  Hesse  with 
the  other,  the  man  on  the  pallet,  Stephen  Wort,  a  sergeant 
of  jagers,  had  been  wounded  in  a  skirmish  beyond  the  river. 
Why  Tilly,  who  was  used  to  seeing  men  die  round  him  like 
flies  in  winter,  gave  a  second  thought  to  this  man  more 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  ^ 

than  to  others,  I  cannot  say.  But  for  some  reason,  when 
he  visited  us  before  Breitenfeld,  he  brought  the  wounded 
sergeant  in  his  train,  and  when  he  went  left  him  at  the 
inn.  Some  said  that  the  man  had  saved  his  life,  others 
that  the  two  were  born  on  the  same  day  and  shared  the 
same  horoscope.  More  probably  Tilly  knew  nothing  of  the 
man,  and  the  captain  of  the  escort  was  the  active  party. 
I  imagine  he  had  a  kindness  for  Wort,  and  knowing  that 
outside  our  little  valley  a  wounded  man  of  Tilly's  army 
would  find  as  short  shrift  as  a  hamstrung  wolf,  took  occa- 
sion to  leave  him  with  us. 

I  thought  of  all  this  as  I  stood  fumbling  about  the  door 
for  the  great  bell.  The  times  were  such  that  even  inns 
shut  their  doors  at  night,  and  I  had  to  wait  and  blow  on 
my  ringers  —  for  no  wind  is  colder  than  a  May  wind  —  un- 
til I  was  admitted.  Inside,  however,  the  blazing  fire  and 
cheerful  kitchen  with  its  show  of  gleaming  pewter,  and  its 
great  polished  settles  winking  solemnly  in  the  heat,  made 
amends  for  all.  I  forgot  the  wounded  man  and  his  daugh- 
ter and  the  fog  outside.  There  were  eight  or  nine  men  pre- 
sent, among  them  Hofman,  who  was  then  Burgomaster, 
Dietz,  the  town  minister,  and  Klink  our  host. 

They  were  people  I  met  every  day,  and  sometimes  more 
than  once  a  day,  and  they  greeted  me  with  a  silent  nod. 
The  lad  who  waited  brought  me  a  cup  of  beer,  and  I  said 
that  the  night  was  cold  for  the  time  of  year.  Some  one 
assented,  but  the  company  in  general  sat  silent,  sagely  suck- 
ing their  lips,  or  exchanging  glances  which  seemed  to  indi- 
cate a  secret  understanding. 

I  was  not  slow  to  see  that  this  had  to  do  with  me  and 
that  my  entrance  had  cut  short  some  jest  or  story.  1 
waited  patiently  to  learn  what  it  was,  and  presently  I  was 
enlightened.  After  a  few  minutes  Klink  the  host  rose  from 
his  seat.  First  looking  from  one  to  another  of  his  neigh- 
bours, as  if  to  assure  himself  of  their  sympathy,  he  stole 
quietly  across  the  kitchen  to  a  door  which  stood  in  one 
corner.  Here  he  paused  a  moment  listening,  and  then  on  a 


8  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

sudden  struck  the  door  a  couple  of  blows,  which  made  the 
pewters  ring  again. 

'  Hi !  Within  there  ! '  he  cried  in  his  great  voice.  '  Are 
you  packing?  Are  you  packing,  wench?  Because  out 
you  go  to-morrow,  pack  or  no  pack !  Out  you  go,  do  you 
hear  ? ' 

He  stood  a  moment  waiting  for  an  answer,  but  seemed  to 
get  none  ;  on  which  he  came  back  to  his  seat,  and  chuckling 
fatly  to  himself,  looked  round  on  his  neighbours  for  ap- 
plause. One  winked  and  another  rubbed  his  calves.  The 
greater  number  eyed  the  fire  with  a  sly  smile.  For  my 
part  I  was  slow  of  apprehension.  I  did  not  understand  but 
waited  to  hear  more. 

For  five  minutes  we  all  sat  silent,  sucking  our  lips.  Then 
Klink  rose  again  with  a  knowing  look,  and  crossed  the 
kitchen  on  tiptoe  with  the  same  parade  of  caution  as 
before.  Bang!  He  struck  the  door  until  it  rattled  on 
its  hinges. 

'  Hi !  You  there  ! '  he  thundered.  '  Do  you  hear,  you 
jade?  Are  you  packing?  Are  you  packing,  I  say  ?  Be- 
cause pack  or  no  pack,  to-morrow  you  go !  I  am  a  man  of 
my  word.' 

He  did  not  wait  this  time  for  an  answer,  but  came  back 
to  us  with  a  self-satisfied  grin  on  his  face.  He  drank  some 
beer  —  he  was  a  big  ponderous  man  with  a  red  face  and 
small  pig's  eyes  —  and  pointed  over  his  shoulders  with  the 
cup.  '  Eh  ? '  he  said,  raising  his  eye-brows. 

'  Good ! '  a  man  growled  who  sat  opposite  to  him. 

'  Quite  right ! '  said  a  second  in  the  same  tone.  '  Popish 
baggage ! ' 

Hofman  said  nothing,  but  nodded,  with  a  sly  glance  at 
me.  Dietz  the  Minister  nodded  curtly  also,  and  looked 
hard  at  the  fire.  The  rest  laughed. 

For  my  part  I  felt  very  little  like  laughing.  When  I 
considered  that  this  clumsy  jest  was  being  played  at  the 
expense  of  the  poor  girl,  whom  I  had  seen  at  her  prayers, 
and  that  likely  enough  it  was  being  played  for  the  tenth 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  9 

time  —  when  I  reflected  that  these  heavy  fellows  were  sit- 
ting at  their  ease  by  this  great  fire  watching  the  logs  blaze 
and  the  ruddy  light  flicker  up  the  chimney,  while  she  sat 
in  cold  and  discomfort,  fearing  every  sound  and  trembling 
at  every  whisper,  I  could  have  found  it  in  my  heart  to  get 
up  and  say  what  I  thought  of  it.  And  my  speech  would 
have  astonished  them.  But  I  remembered,  in  time,  that 
least  said  is  soonest  mended,  and  that  after  all  words 
break  no  bones,  and  I  did  no  more  than  sniff  and  shrug 
my  shoulders. 

Klink,  however,  chose  to  take  offence  in  his  stupid 
fashion.  'Eh?'  he  said.  'You  are  of  another  mind, 
Master  Schwartz  ? ' 

1  What  is  the  good  of  talking  like  that,'  I  said,  '  when 
you  do  not  mean  it?' 

He  puffed  himself  out,  and  after  staring  at  me  for  a 
time,  answered  slowly :  '  But  what  if  I  do  mean  it,  Master 
Steward  ?  What  if  I  do  mean  it  ?  ' 

'  You  don't,'  I  said.     '  The  man  pays  his  way.' 

I  thought  to  end  the  matter  with  that.  I  soon  found 
that  it  was  not  to  be  shelved  so  easily.  For  a  moment 
indeed  no  one  answered  me.  We  are  a  slow  speaking  race, 
and  love  to  have  time  to  think.  A  minute  had  not  elapsed, 
however,  before  one  of  the  men  who  had  spoken  earlier  took 
up  the  cudgels.  '  Ay,  he  pays  his  way,'  he  said,  thrusting 
his  head  forward.  '  He  pays  his  way,  master ;  but  how  ? 
Tell  me  that.' 

I  did  not  answer  him. 

'  Out  of  the  peasant's  pocket ! '  the  fellow  replied  slowly. 
'  Out  of  the  plunder  and  booty  of  Magdeburg.  With  blood 
money,  master.' 

'  I  ask  no  more  than  to  meet  one  of  his  kind  in  the  fields,' 
the  man  sitting  next  him,  who  had  also  spoken  before, 
chimed  in.  <  With  no  one  looking  on,  master.  There  would 
be  one  less  wolf  in  the  world  then,  I  will  answer  for  that. 
He  pays  his  way  ?  Oh,  yes,  he  pays  it  here.' 

I  thought  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders  a  sufficient  answer. 


io  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

These  two  belonged  to  the  company  my  lady  had  raised  in 
the  preceding  year  to  serve  with  the  Landgrave  according 
to  her  tenure.  They  had  come  back  to  the  town  a  week 
before  this  with  money  to  spend  ;  some  people  saying  that 
they  had  deserted,  and  some  that  they  had  returned  to 
raise  volunteers.  Either  way  I  was  not  surprised  to  find 
them  a  little  bit  above  themselves;  for  foreign  service 
spoils  the  best,  and  these  had  never  been  anything  but 
loiterers  and  vagrants,  whom  it  angered  me  to  see  on  a 
bench  cheek  by  jowl  with  the  Burgomaster.  I  thought  to 
treat  them  with  silent  contempt,  but  I  soon  found  that  they 
did  not  stand  alone. 

The  Minister  was  the  first  to  come  to  their  support. 
'  You  forget  that  these  people  are  Papists,  Master  Schwartz. 
Rank  Roman  Papists,'  he  said. 

'  So  was  Tilly  ! '  I  retorted,  stung  to  anger.  '  Yet  you 
managed  to  do  with  him.' 

'  That  was  different,'  he  answered  sourly ;  but  he  winced. 

Then  Hof man  began  on  me.  *  You  see,  Master  Steward,' 
he  said  slowly,  '  we  are  a  Protestant  town  —  we  are  a  Pro- 
testant town.  And  it  ill  beseems  us  —  it  ill  beseems  us  to 
harbour  Papists.  I  have  thought  over  that  a  long  while. 
And  now  I  think  it  is  time  to  rid  ourselves  of  them  —  to 
abate  the  nuisance  in  fact.  You  see  we  are  a  Protestant 
town,  Master  Schwartz.  You  forget  that.' 

'  Then  were  we  not  a  Protestant  town,'  I  cried,  jumping 
up  in  a  rage,  and  forgetting  all  my  discretion,  '  when  we 
entertained  Count  Tilly  ?  When  you  held  his  stirrup, 
Burgomaster  ?  and  you,  Master  Dietz,  uncovered  to  him  ? 
Were  not  these  people  Papists  when  they  came  here,  and 
when  you  received  them  ?  But  I  will  tell  you  what  it  is,' 
I  continued,  looking  round  scornfully,  and  giving  my  anger 
vent,  for  such  meanness  disgusted  me.  'When  there  was  a 
Bavarian  army  across  the  river,  and  you  could  get  anything 
out  of  Tilly,  you  were  ready  to  oblige  him,  and  clean  his 
boots.  You  could  take  in  Romanists  then,  but  now  that  he 
is  dead  and  your  side  is  uppermost,  you  grow  scrupulous. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  II 

Pah  !  I  am  ashamed  of  you !  You  are  only  fit  to  bully 
children  and  girls,  and  such  like ! '  and  I  turned  away  to 
take  up  my  iron-shod  staff. 

They  were  all  very  red  in  the  face  by  this  time,  and  the 
two  soldiers  were  on  their  feet.  But  the  Burgomaster 
restrained  them.  'Fine  words!'  he  said,  puffing  out  his 
cheeks  —  '  fine  words !  Dare  say  the  girl  can  hear  him. 
But  let  him  be,  let  him  be  —  let  him  have  his  say  ! ' 

4  There  is  some  else  will  have  a  say  in  the  matter,  Master 
Hof  man  ! '  I  retorted  warmly,  as  I  turned  to  the  door,  « and 
that  is  my  lady.  I  would  advise  you  to  think  twice  before 
you  act.  That  is  all ! ' 

'Hoop-de-doo-dem-doo! '  cried  one  in  derision,  and  others 
echoed  it.  But  I  did  not  stay  to  hear ;  I  turned  a  deaf  ear 
to  the  uproar,  wherein  all  seemed  to  be  crying  after  me  at 
once,  and  shrugging  my  shoulders  I  opened  the  door  and 
went  out. 

The  sudden  change  from  the  warm  noisy  kitchen  to  the 
cold  night  air  sobered  me  in  a  moment.  As  I  climbed  the 
dark  slippery  street  which  rises  to  the  foot  of  the  castle 
steps,  I  began  to  wish  that  I  had  let  the  matter  be.  After 
all,  what  call  had  I  to  interfere,  and  make  bad  blood 
between  myself  and  my  neighbours  ?  It  was  no  business 
of  mine.  The  three  were  Romanists.  Doubtless  the  man 
had  robbed  and  hectored  in  his  time,  and  while  his  hand 
was  strong ;  and  now  he  suffered  as  others  had  suffered. 

It  was  ten  chances  to  one  the  Burgomaster  would  carry 
the  matter  to  my  lady  in  some  shape  or  other,  and  the 
minister  would  back  him  up,  and  I  should  be  reprimanded  ; 
or  if  the  Countess  saw  with  my  eyes,  and  sent  them  off 
with  a  flea  in  their  ears,  then  we  should  have  all  the  rabble 
of  the  town  who  were  at  Klink's  beck  and  call,  going  up 
and  down  making  mischief,  and  crying,  '  No  Popery ! ' 
Either  way  I  foresaw  trouble,  and  wished  that  I  had 
let  the  matter  be,  or  better  still  had  kept  away  that 
night  from  the  Red  Hart. 

But  then  on  a  sudden  there  rose  before  me,  as  plainly  as 


12  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

if  I  had  still  been  looking  through  the  window,  a  vision  of 
the  half-lit  room  looking  on  the  lane,  with  the  sick  man  on 
the  pallet,  and  the  slender  figure  kneeling  beside  the  bed. 
I  saw  the  cat  leap,  saw  again  the  girl's  frightened  gesture 
as  she  turned  towards  the  door,  and  I  grew  almost  as  hot  as 
I  had  been  in  the  kitchen.  '  The  cowards  ! '  I  muttered  — 
'the  cowards !  But  I  will  be  beforehand  with  them.  I  will 
go  to  my  lady  early  and  tell  her  all. ' 

You  see  I  had  my  misgivings,  but  I  little  thought  what 
that  evening  was  really  to  bring  forth,  or  that  I  had  done 
that  in  the  Red  Hart  kitchen  which  would  alter  all  my  life, 
and  all  my  lady's  life ;  and  spreading  still,  as  a  little  crack 
in  ice  will  spread  from  bank  to  bank,  would  leave  scarce  a 
man  in  Heritzburg  unchanged,  and  scarce  a  woman's  fate 
untouched. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    COUNTESS     ROTHA. 

MY  LADY  ROTHA,  Countess  of  Heritzburg  in  her  own  right, 
was  at  this  time  twenty-five  years  old  and  unmarried.  Her 
maiden  state,  which  seems  to  call  for  explanation,  I  attri- 
bute to  two  things.  Partly  to  the  influence  of  her  friend 
and  companion  Fraulein  Anna  Max  of  Utrecht,  who  was 
reputed  in  the  castle  to  know  seven  languages,  and  to 
consider  marriage  a  sacrifice ;  and  partly  to  the  Countess's 
own  disposition,  which  led  her  to  set  a  high  value  on  the 
power  and  possessions  that  had  descended  to  her  from  her 
father.  Count  Tilly's  protection,  which  had  exempted 
Heritzburg  from  the  evils  of  the  war,  had  rendered  the 
support  of  a  husband  less  necessary ;  and  so  she  had  been 
left  to  follow  her  own  will  in  the  matter,  and  was  now 
little  likely  to  surrender  her  independence  unless  her 
heart  went  with  the  gift. 

Not  that  suitors  were  lacking,  for  my  lady,  besides  her 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  13 

wealth,  was  possessed  of  the  handsomest  figure  in  the 
world,  with  beautiful  features,  and  the  most  gracious  and 
winning  address  ever  known.  I  remember  as  if  it  were 
yesterday  Prince  Albert  of  Kammingen,  a  great  match  but 
an  old  man.  He  came  in  his  chariot  with  a  numerous 
retinue,  and  stayed  long,  taking  it  very  hardly  that  my 
lady  was  not  to  be  won ;  but  after  a  while  he  went.  His 
place  was  taken  by  Count  Frederick,  a  brother  of  the  Mar- 
grave of  Anspach,  a  young  gentleman  who  had  received  his 
education  in  France,  and  was  full  of  airs  and  graces,  going 
sober  to  bed  every  night,  and  speaking  German  with  a 
French  accent.  Him  my  lady  soon  sent  about  his  busi- 
ness. The  next  was  a  more  famous  man,  Count  Thurn  of 
Bohemia,  he  who  began  the  war  by  throwing  Slawata  and 
Martinitz  out  of  window  in  Prague,  in  '19,  and  paid  for  it 
by  fifteen  years  of  exile.  He  wore  such  an  air  of  mystery, 
and  had  such  tales  to  tell  of  flight  and  battle  and  hair- 
breadth escapes,  that  he  was  scarcely  less  an  object  of 
curiosity  in  the  town  than  Tilly  himself;  but  he  knelt  in 
vain.  And  in  fine  so  it  was  with  them  all.  My  lady 
would  have  none  of  them,  but  kept  her  maiden  state  and 
governed  Heritzburg  and  saw  the  years  go  by,  content  to 
all  appearance  with  Fraulein  Anna  and  her  talk,  which 
was  all  of  Voetius  and  Beza  and  scores  of  other  learned 
men,  whose  names  I  could  never  remember  from  one  hour 
to  another. 

It  was  my  duty  to  wait  upon  her  every  day  after  morn- 
ing service,  and  receive  her  orders,  and  inform  her  of  any- 
thing which  I  thought  she  ought  to  know.  At  that  hour 
she  was  to  be  found  in  her  parlour,  a  long  room  on  the  first 
floor  of  the  castle,  lighted  by  three  deeply-recessed  windows 
and  hung  with  old  tapestry  worked  by  her  great-grand- 
mother in  the  dark  days  of  the  Emperor  Charles,  when  the 
Count  of  Heritzburg  shared  the  imprisonment  of  the  good 
Landgrave  of  Hesse.  A  screen  stood  a  little  way  within 
the  door,  and  behind  this  it  was  my  business  to  wait,  until 
I  was  called. 


14  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

On  this  morning,  however,  I  had  no  patience  to  wait,  and 
I  made  myself  so  objectionable  by  my  constant  cough- 
ing that  at  last  she  cried,  with  a  cheerful  laugh,  'What 
is  it,  Martin  ?  Come  and  tell  me.  Has  there  been  a  fire 
m  the  forest  ?  But  it  is  not  the  right  time  of  year  fot 
that.' 

'  No,  my  lady,'  I  said,  going  forward.  Then  out  of  shy- 
ness or  sheer  contradictoriness  I  found  myself  giving  her 
the  usual  report  of  this  and  that  and  the  other,  but  never  a 
word  of  what  was  in  my  mind.  She  sat,  according  to  her 
custom  in  summer,  in  the  recess  of  the  farthest  window, 
while  Fraulein  Anna  occupied  a  stool  placed  before  a  read- 
ing-desk. Behind  the  two  the  great  window  gave  upon  the 
valley.  By  merely  turning  the  head  either  of  them  could 
look  over  the  red  roofs  of  Heritzburg  to  the  green  plain, 
which  here  was  tolerably  wide,  and  beyond  that  again  to 
the  dark  line  of  forest,  which  in  spring  and  autumn  showed 
as  blue  to  the  eye  as  thick  wood  smoke. 

While  I  spoke  my  lady  toyed  with  a  book  she  had  been 
reading,  and  Fraulein  Anna  turned  over  the  pages  on  the 
desk  with  an  impatient  hand,  sometimes  looking  at  my 
lady  and  sometimes  tapping  with  her  foot  on  the  floor. 
She  was  plump  and  fair  and  short,  dressing  plainly,  and 
always  looking  into  the  distance ;  whether  because  she 
thought  much  and  on  deep  matters,  or  because,  as  the 
Countess's  woman  once  told  me,  she  could  see  nothing 
beyond  the  length  of  her  arm,  I  cannot  say.  When  I 
had  finished  my  report,  and  paused,  she  looked  up  at  my 
lady  and  said,  'Now,  Rotha,  are  you  ready  ? ' 

'Not  quite,  Anna,'  my  lady  answered,  smiling.  'Martin 
has  not  done  yet.' 

'He  tells  in  ten  minutes  what  another  would  in  five/ 
Fraulein  said  crossly.  '  But  to  finish  ?  ' 

'Yes,  Martin,  what  is  it?'  my  lady  assented.  'We 
have  eaten  all  the  pastry.  The  meat  I  am  sure  is  yet  to 
come.' 

I  saw  that  there  was  nothing  else  for  it,  and  after  all  it 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  15 

was  what  I  had  come  to  do.  '  Your  excellency  knows  the 
Bavarian  soldier  and  his  daughter,  who  have  been  lodging 
these  six  months  past  at  the  Red  Hart  ? '  I  said. 

'To  be  sure.' 

'Klink  talks  of  turning  them  out,'  I  continued,  feeling 
my  face  grow  red  I  scarcely  knew  why. 

'  Is  their  money  at  an  end  ? '  the  Countess  asked  shrewdly. 
She  was  a  great  woman  of  business. 

'  No,'  I  answered,  *  but  I  dare  say  it  is  low.' 

'  Then  what  is  the  matter  ? '  my  lady  continued,  looking 
at  me  somewhat  curiously. 

'  He  says  that  they  are  Papists,'  I  answered.  '  And  it  is 
true,  as  your  excellency  knows,  but  it  is  not  for  him  to  say 
it.  The  man  will  not  be  safe  for  an  hour  outside  the  walls, 
nor  the  girl  much  longer.  And  there  is  a  small  child 
besides.  And  they  have  no  where  else  to  go.' 

My  lady's  face  grew  grave  while  I  spoke.  When  I 
stopped  she  rose  and  stood  fronting  me,  tapping  on  the 
reading-desk  with  her  fingers.  '  This  must  not  be  allowed, 
Martin,'  she  said  firmly.  '  You  were  right  to  tell  me.' 

'  Master  Hof man  and  the  Minister ' 

'Yes,'  she  interposed,  nodding  quickly.  'Go  to  them. 
They  will  see  Klink,  and ' 

'  They  are  just  pushing  him  on,'  I  said,  with  a  groan. 

'  What ! '  she  cried ;  and  I  remember  to  this  day  how  her 
grey  eyes  flashed  and  how  she  threw  back  her  head  in 
generous  amazement.  'Do  you  mean  to  say  that  this  is 
being  done  in  spite,  Martin  ?  That  after  escaping  all  the 
perils  of  this  wretched  war  these  men  are  so  thankless  as 
to  turn  on  the  first  scape-goat  that  falls  into  their  hands  ? 
It  is  not  possible  ! ' 

'  It  looks  like  it,  my  lady,'  I  muttered,  wondering  whether 
I  had  not  perhaps  carried  the  matter  too  far. 

'No,  no,'  she  said,  shaking  her  head,  'you  must  have 
made  a  mistake ;  but  go  to  Klink.  Go  to  Klink  and  tell 
him  from  me  to  keep  the  man  for  a  week  at  least.  I  will 
be  answerable  for  the  cost,  and  we  can  consider  in  the 


16  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

meantime  what  to  do.  My  cousin  the  Waldgrave  Rupert 
visits  me  in  a  day  or  two,  and  I  will  consult  him.' 

Still  I  did  not  like  to  go  without  giving  her  a  hint  that 
she  might  meet  with  opposition,  and  I  hesitated,  consider- 
ing how  I  might  warn  her  without  causing  needless  alarm 
or  seeming  to  presume.  Fraulein  Anna,  who  had  listened 
throughout  with  the  greatest  impatience,  took  advantage  of 
the  pause  to  interfere.  '  Come,  Botha,'  she  said.  '  Enough 
trifling.  Let  us  go  back  to  Voetius  and  our  day's  work.' 

'  My  dear,'  the  Countess  answered  somewhat  coldly,  '  this 
is  my  day's  work.  I  am  trying  to  do  it.' 

'  Your  work  is  to  improve  and  store  your  mind,'  Fraulein 
Anna  retorted  with  peevishness. 

'  True,'  my  lady  said  quietly ;  '  but  for  a  purpose.' 

'  There  can  be  no  purpose  higher  than  the  acquirement  of 
philosophy  —  and  religion,'  Fraulein  Anna  said.  Her  last 
words  sounded  like  an  afterthought. 

My  lady  shook  her  head.  '  The  duty  of  a  Princess  is  to 
govern,'  she  said. 

'  How  can  she  govern  unless  she  has  prepared  her  mind  by 
study  and  thought  ? '  Fraulein  Anna  asked  triumphantly. 

'  I  agree  within  limits,'  my  lady  answered.     '  But ' 

'There  is  no  but !  Nor  are  there  any  limits  that  I  see  ! ' 
the  other  rejoined  eagerly.  '  Let  me  read  to  you  out  of 
Voetius  himself.  In  his  maxims ' 

'Not  this  minute,'  the  Countess  answered  firmly.  And 
thereby  she  interrupted  not  Fraulein  Anna  alone  but  a  cal- 
culation on  which,  without  any  light  from  Voetius,  I  was 
engaged  ;  namely,  how  long  it  would  take  a  man  to  mow  an 
acre  of  ground  if  he  spent  all  his  time  in  sharpening  his 
scythe  !  Low  matters  of  that  kind  however  have  nothing 
in  common  with  philosophy  I  suppose ;  and  my  lady's  voice 
soon  brought  me  back  to  the  point.  '  What  is  it  you  want 
to  say,  Martin  ?  '  she  asked.  '  I  see  that  you  have  some- 
thing still  on  your  mind.' 

'  I  wish  your  excellency  to  be  aware  that  there  may  be  a 
good  deal  of  feeling  in  the  town  on  this  matter,'  I  said. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  17 

'You  mean  that  I  may  make  myself  unpopular,'  she 
answered. 

That  was  what  I  did  mean  —  that  at  the  least.  And  I 
bowed. 

My  lady  shook  her  head  with  a  grave  smile.  '  I  might 
give  you  an  answer  from  Voetius,  Martin,'  she  said;  'that 
they  who  govern  are  created  to  protect  the  weak  against 
the  strong.  And  if  not,  cui  bono  ?  But  that,  you  may  not 
understand.  Shall  I  say  then  instead  that  I,  and  not  Hof- 
man  or  Dietz,  am  Countess  of  Heritzburg.' 

'My  lady,'  I  cried  —  and  I  could  have  knelt  before  her  — 
'  that  is  answer  enough  for  me  ! ' 

'  Then  go,'  she  said,  her  face  bright,  '  and  do  as  I  told  you.' 

She  turned  away,  and  I  made  my  reverence  and  went  out 
and  down  the  stairs  and  through  the  great  court  with  my 
head  high  and  my  heart  high  also.  I  might  not  understand 
Voetius ;  but  I  understood  that  my  lady  was  one,  who  in 
face  of  all  and  in  spite  of  all,  come  Hofman  or  Dietz,  come 
peace  or  war,  would  not  blench,  but  stand  by  the  right ! 
And  it  did  me  good.  He  is  a  bad  horse  that  will  not  jump 
when  his  rider's  heart  is  right,  and  a  bad  servant  that  will 
not  follow  when  his  master  goes  before  !  I  hummed  a  tune, 
I  rattled  my  staff  on  the  stones.  I  said  to  myself  it  was  a 
thousand  pities  so  gallant  a  spirit  should  be  wasted  on  a 
woman  :  and  then  again  I  fancied  that  I  could  not  have 
served  a  man  as  I  knew  I  could  and  would  serve  her  should 
time  and  the  call  ever  put  me  to  the  test. 

The  castle  at  Heritzburg,  rising  abruptly  above  the  roofs 
of  the  houses,  is  accessible  from  the  town  by  a  flight  of 
steps  cut  in  the  rock.  On  the  other  three  sides  the  knob  on 
which  it  stands  is  separated  from  the  wooded  hills  to  which 
it  belongs  by  a  narrow  ravine,  crossed  in  one  place  by  a 
light  horse-bridge  made  in  modern  days.  This  forms  the 
chief  entrance  to  the  castle,  but  the  road  which  leads  to  it 
from  the  town  goes  so  far  round  that  it  is  seldom  used, 
the  flight  of  steps  I  have  mentioned  leading  at  once  and 
more  conveniently  from  the  end  of  the  High  Street.  Half 

2 


18  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

way  down  the  High  Street  on  the  right  hand  side  is  the 
Market-place,  a  small  paved  square,  shaded  by  tall  wooden 
houses,  and  having  a  carved  stone  pump  in  the  middle.  A 
hundred  paces  beyond  this  on  the  same  side  is  the  Red 
Hart,  standing  just  within  the  West  Gate. 

From  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  other  is  scarcely  a  step, 
and  I  was  at  the  inn  before  the  Countess's  voice  had  ceased 
to  sound  in  my  ears.  The  door  stood  open,  and  I  went  in, 
expecting  to  find  the  kitchen  empty  or  nearly  so  at  that 
hour  of  the  day.  To  my  surprise,  I  found  at  least  a  dozen 
people  in  it,  with  as  much  noise  and  excitement  going 
forward  as  if  the  yearly  fair  had  been  in  progress.  For  a 
moment  I  was  not  observed.  I  had  time  to  see  who  were 
present  —  Klink,  the  two  soldiers  who  had  put  themselves 
forward  the  evening  before,  and  half  a  score  of  idlers. 
Then  the  landlord's  eye  fell  on  me  and  he  passed  the  word. 
A  sudden  silence  followed  and  a  dozen  faces  turned  my 
way ;  so  that  the  room,  which  was  low  in  the  roof  with 
wide  beetle-browed  windows,  seemed  to  lighten. 

'  Just  in  time,  Master  Schwartz  ! '  cried  one  fellow.  '  You 
can  write,  and  we  are  about  a  petition  !  Perhaps  you  will 
draw  it  up  for  us.' 

'  A  petition,'  I  said  shortly,  eyeing  the  fellow  with  con- 
tempt. '  What  petition  ?  ' 

'  Against  Papists  ! '  he  answered  boldly. 

'  And  favourers,  aiders,  and  abettors  ! '  exclaimed  another 
in  the  background. 

'Master  Klink,  Master  Klink,'  I  said,  trying  to  frown 
down  the  crowd,  '  you  would  do  well  to  have  a  care.  These 
ragamuffins ' 

'  Have  a  care  yourself,  Master  Jackanapes ! '  the  same 
voice  cried.  '  This  is  a  town  meeting.' 

'  Town  meeting ! '  I  said,  looking  round  contemptuously. 
'  Gaol-meeting,  you  mean,  and  likely  to  be  a  gaol-filling. 
But  I  do  not  speak  to  you ;  I  leave  that  to  the  constable. 
For  Master  Klink,  if  he  will  take  a  word  of  advice,  I  will 
speak  with  him  alone.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  19 

They  cried  out  to  him  not  to  speak  to  me.  But  Klink 
had  still  sense  enough  to  know  that  he  might  be  going  too 
fast,  and  though  they  hooted  and  laughed  at  him  —  being 
for  the  most  part  people  who  had  nothing  to  lose  —  he 
came  out  of  the  house  with  me  and  crossed  the  street  that 
we  might  talk  unheard.  As  civilly  as  I  could  I  delivered 
my  message ;  and  as  exactly,  for  I  saw  that  the  issue 
might  be  serious. 

I  was  not  surprised  when  he  groaned,  and  in  a  kind  of 
a  tremor  shook  his  hands.  'I  am  not  my  own  master, 
Schwartz,'  he  said.  '  And  that  is  the  truth.' 

'  You  were  your  own  master  last  night,'  I  retorted. 

'These  fellows  are  all  for  "  No  Popery."  ' 

'  Ay,  and  who  gave  them  the  cue  ? '  I  said  sharply.  '  It 
is  not  the  first  time  that  the  fat  burgher  has  raised  the 
lean  kine  and  been  eaten  by  them.  Nor  will  it  be  the  last. 
It  serves  you  right.' 

'  I  am  willing  enough  to  do  what  my  lady  wishes,'  he 
whimpered;  'but ' 

'But  you  are  not  master  of  your  own  house,  do  you 
mean  ? '  I  exclaimed.  '  Then  fetch  the  constable.  That  is 
simple.  Or  the  Burgomaster.' 

'  Hush  ! '  he  said,  '  he  is  hotter  than  any  one.' 

'  Then,'  I  answered  flatly,  '  he  had  better  cool,  and  you 
too.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say.  And  mark  me,  Klink/  I 
continued  sternly,  '  see  that  no  harm  happens  to  that  girl 
or  her  father.  They  are  in  your  house,  and  you  have 
heard  what  my  lady  says.  Let  those  ruffians  interfere 
with  them  and  you  will  be  held  to  answer  for  it.' 

'  That  is  easy  talking,'  he  muttered  peevishly ;  '  but  if  I 
cannot  help  it  ?  ' 

'You  will  have  to  help  it!'  I  rejoined,  losing  my  temper 
a  little.  '  You  were  fool  enough,  or  I  am  much  mistaken, 
to  set  a  light  to  this  stack,  and  now  you  will  have  to 
smother  the  flame,  or  pay  for  it.  That  is  all,  my  friend. 
You  have  had  fair  warning.  The  rest  is  in  your  own 
hands.' 


20  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

And  with  that  I  left  him.  He  was  a  stupid  man  but  a 
sly  one  too,  and  I  doubted  his  sincerity,  or  I  might  have 
taken  another  way  with  him.  In  the  end,  doubtless,  it 
would  have  been  the  same. 

As  I  turned  on  my  heel  to  go,  the  troop  round  the  door 
raised  a  kind  of  hoot ;  and  this  pursued  me  as  I  went  up 
the  street,  bringing  the  blood  to  my  cheeks  and  almost  pro- 
voking me  to  return.  I  checked  the  impulse  however,  and 
strode  on  as  if  I  did  not  hear ;  and  by  the  time  I  reached 
the  market-place  the  cry  had  ceased.  Here  however  it, 
began  afresh ;  a  number  of  loose  fellows  and  lads  who  were 
loafing  about  the  stalls  crying  '  No  Popery  ! '  and  '  Popish 
Schwartz  ! '  as  I  passed,  in  a  way  which  showed  that  the 
thing  was  premeditated  and  that  they  had  been  lying  in 
wait  for  me.  I  stopped  and  scowled  at  them,  and  for  a 
moment  they  ceased.  But  the  instant  my  back  was  turned 
the  hooting  began  again  —  with  an  ugly  savage  note  in  it  — 
and  I  had  not  got  quite  clear  of  the  place  when  some  one 
flung  a  bundle  of  carrots,  which  hit  me  sharply  on  the  back. 
I  swung  round  in  a  rage  at  that,  and  dashed  hot  foot  into 
the  middle  of  the  stalls  in  the  hope  of  catching  the  fellow. 
But  I  was  too  late ;  an  old  woman  over  whom  I  fell  was 
the  only  sufferer.  The  rascals  had  fled  down  an  alle}-,  and, 
contenting  myself  with  crying  after  them  that  they  were  a 
set  of  cowards,  I  set  the  old  lady  on  her  legs,  and  went 
on  my  way. 

But  I  had  my  thoughts.  Such  an  insult  had  not  been 
offered  to  me  since  I  first  came  to  the  town  to  serve  my 
lady,  and  it  filled  me  with  indignation.  It  seemed,  besides, 
not  a  thing  to  be  sneezed  at.  I  took  it  for  a  sign  of  change, 
of  bad  times  coming.  Moreover  —  and  this  troubled  me  as 
much  as  anything  —  I  had  recognised  among  the  fellows 
in  the  square  two  more  of  the  fifty  men  my  lady  had  sent 
to  serve  with  Hesse.  There  seemed  ground  for  fearing 
that  they  had  deserted  in  a  body  and  come  back  and  were 
in  hiding.  If  this  were  so,  and  the  Burgomaster,  instead 
of  repressing  them,  encouraged  their  excesses,  they  were 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  21 

likely  to  prove  a  source  of  trouble  and  danger  —  real 
danger. 

I  paused  on  the  steps  leading  up  to  the  castle,  in  two 
minds  whether  I  should  not  go  to  the  Burgomaster  and  tell 
him  plainly  what  I  thought;  for  I  felt  the  responsibility. 
My  lady  had  no  male  protector,  no  higher  servant  than 
myself,  and  we  had  not  a  dozen  capable  men  in  the  castle. 
The  Landgrave  of  Hesse,  our  over-lord,  was  away  with  the 
King  of  Sweden,  and  we  could  expect  no  immediate  sup- 
port from  him.  In  the  event  of  a  riot  in  the  town  there- 
fore—  and  I  knew  that,  in  the  great  Peasants'  War  of  a 
century  before,  our  town  had  been  rebellious  enough  — 
we  should  be  practically  helpless.  An  hour  and  a  little 
ill-fortune  might  place  my  lady  in  the  hands  of  her  muti- 
nous subjects  ;  and  though  the  Landgrave  would  be  certain 
sooner  or  later  to  chastise  them,  many  things  might  happen 
in  the  interval. 

In  the  end  I  went  on  up  the  steps,  thinking  that  I  had 
better  leave  Hofman  alone,  since  I  could  not  trust  him,  and 
should  only  by  applying  to  him  disclose  our  weakness. 
There  was  a  way  indeed  which  occurred  to  me  as  I  reached 
the  head  of  the  stairs,  but  I  had  not  taken  two  steps 
across  the  terrace,  as  we  call  that  part  of  the  court  which 
overlooks  the  town,  before  it  was  immediately  driven  out 
again.  Fraulein  Max  was  walking  up  and  down  with 
a  book,  sunning  herself.  I  think  that  she  'had  been 
watching  for  me,  for  the  moment  I  appeared  she  called 
to  me. 

I  went  up  to  her  reluctantly.  I  was  anxious,  and  in  no 
mood  to  listen  to  one  of  those  learned  disquisitions  with 
which  she  would  sometimes  favour  us,  without  any  thought 
whether  we  understood  her  or  no.  But  this  I  soon  found 
was  not  what  I  had  to  fear.  Her  face  wore  a  frown  and 
her  tone  was  peevish ;  but  she  closed  her  book,  keeping 
her  place  in  it  with  her  finger. 

'  Master  Martin,'  she  said,  peering  at  me  with  her  short- 
sighted eyes,  '  you  are  a  very  foolish  man,  I  think.' 


22  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Fraulein ! '  I  muttered  in  surprise.  What  did  she 
mean  ? 

'A  very  foolish  one!'  she  repeated.  'Why  are  you  dis- 
turbing your  lady  ?  Why  do  you  not  leave  her  to  her 
studies  and  her  peace  instead  of  distracting  her  mind  with 
these  stories  of  a  man  and  a  girl  ?  A  man  and  a  girl,  and 
Papists !  Piff  !  What  are  they  to  us  ?  Don't  you  under- 
stand that  your  lady  has  higher  work  and  something  else 
to  do  ?  Go  you  and  look  after  your  man  and  girl.' 

'  But  my  lady's  subjects,  Fraulein ' 

'  Her  subjects  ? '  she  replied,  almost  violently.  '  Papists 
are  no  subjects.  Or  to  what  purpose  the  Cujus  Regio? 
But  what  do  you  know  of  government  ?  You  have  heard 
and  you  repeat.' 

'But,  Fraulein,'  I  said  humbly,  for  her  way  of  talking 
made  me  seem  altogether  in  the  wrong,  and  a  monster  of 
indiscretion,  '  if  my  lady  does  not  interfere,  the  man  and 
the  girl  you  speak  of  will  suffer.  That  is  clear.' 

She  snapped  her  fingers. 

'Piff!'  she  cried,  screwing  up  her  eyes  still  more. 
'  What  has  that  to  do  with  us  ?  Is  there  not  suffering 
going  on  from  one  end  of  Germany  to  the  other  ?  Do  not 
scores  die  every  day,  every  hour?  Can  we  prevent  it? 
No.  Then  why  trouble  us  for  this  one  little,  little  matter  ? 
It  is  theirs  to  suffer,  and  ours  to  think  and  read,  and  learn 
and  write.  We  were  at  peace  to  do  all  this,  and  then  you 
come  with  your  man  and  girl,  and  the  peace  is  gone  1 ' 

'But,  Fraulein ' 

'You  do  no  good  by  saying  Fraulein,  Fraulein!'  she 
replied.  '  Look  at  things  in  the  light  of  reason.  Trouble 
us  no  more.  That  is  what  you  have  to  do.  What  are 
this  man  and  girl  to  you  that  you  should  endanger  your 
mistress  for  their  sakes  ? ' 

'  They  are  nothing  to  me,'  I  answered. 

'  Then  let  them  go ! '  she  replied  with  suppressed  passion. 
'And  undo  your  folly  the  best  way  you  can,  and  the  sooner 
the  better !  Chut !  That  when  the  inind  is  set  on  higher 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  23 

things  it  should  be  distracted  by  such  mean  and  miserable 
objects !  If  they  are  nothing  to  you,  why  in  heaven's 
name  obtrude  them  on  us  ? ' 

After  that  she  would  not  hear  another  word,  but  dis- 
missed me  with  a  wave  of  her  hand  as  if  the  thing  were 
fully  settled  and  over;  burying  herself  in  her  book  and 
turning  away,  while  I  went  into  the  house  with  my  tail 
between  my  legs  and  all  my  doubts  and  misgivings  in- 
creased a  hundredfold.  For  this  which  she  had  put  into 
words  was  the  very  thought,  the  very  way  out  of  it,  which 
had  occurred  to  me !  I  had  only  to  let  the  matter  drop,  I 
had  only  to  leave  these  people  to  their  fate,  and  the  danger 
and  difficulty  were  at  once  at  an  end.  For  a  time  my 
lady's  authority  might  suffer  perhaps;  but  at  the  proper 
season,  when  the  Landgrave  was  at  home  and  could  help 
us,  we  might  cheaply  assert  and  confirm  it. 

All  that  day  I  went  about  in  doubt  what  I  should  do ; 
and  night  came  without 'resolving  my  perplexities.  At  one 
moment  I  thought  of  my  duty  to  my  lady,  and  the  calami- 
ties in  which  I  might  involve  her.  At  another  I  pictured 
the  girl  I  had  seen  praying  by  her  father's  bed  —  pictured 
her  alone  and  defenceless,  hourly  insulted  by  Klink,  and 
with  terror  and  uncertainty  looming  each  day  larger  before 
her  eyes ;  or,  worse  still,  abandoned  to  all  the  dangers 
which  awaited  her,  in  the  event  of  the  town  refusing  to 
give  her  shelter.  Considering  that  I  had  seen  her  once 
only  —  to  notice  her  —  it  was  wonderful  how  clearly  I 
remembered  her. 


24  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 


CHAPTER   III. 
THE  BURGOMASTER'S  DEMAND. 

As  it  turned  out,  the  other  party  took  the  burden  of 
decision  from  my  shoulders.  When  I  came  out  of  chapel 
next  morning,  I  found  Hofman  on  the  terrace  waiting  for 
me,  and  with  him  Master  Dietz  wearing  his  Geneva  gown 
and  a  sour  face.  They  wished  to  see  my  lady.  I  said  it 
was  early  yet,  and  tried  to  hold  them  in  talk  if  only  that 
I  might  learn  what  they  would  be  at.  But  they  repulsed  my 
advances,  said  that  they  knew  her  excellency  always  trans- 
acted her  business  at  this  hour  — >  which  was  perfectly  true  — 
and  at  last  sent  me  to  the  parlour  whether  I  would  or  no. 

Under  such  circumstances  I  did  not  linger  behind  the 
screen,  but  advanced  at  once,  and  interrupting  Fraulein 
Max,  who  had  just  begun  to  read  aloud,  while  my  lady 
worked,  said  that  the  Burgomaster  desired  the  honour  of  an 
interview  with  the  Countess. 

The  latter  passed  her  needle  once  through  the  stuff,  and 
then  looked  up.  'Do  you  know  what  he  wants,  Martin?' 
she  said  in  a  quiet  tone. 

I  said  I  did  not. 

She  bent  her  head  and  worked  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
Then  she  sighed  gently,  and  without  looking  up,  nodded  to 
me.  'Very  wejl,  I  will  see  him  here,'  she  said.  'But  first 
send  Grissel  and  Gretchen  to  wait  on  me.  Let  Franz  bring 
two  stools  and  place  them,  and  bid  him  and  Ernst  keep  the 
door.  My  footstool  also.  And  let  the  two  Jacobs  wait  in 
the  hall.' 

I  gave  the  orders  and  took  on  myself  to  place  two  extra 
lackeys  in  the  hall  that  we  might  not  seem  to  be  short  of 
men.  Then  I  went  to  the  Burgomaster,  and  attended  him 
and  Master  Dietz  to  the  parlour. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  25 

They  bowed  three  times  according  to  custom  as  they 
advanced,  and  my  lady,  taking  one  step  forward,  gave  her 
hand  to  the  Burgomaster  to  kiss.  Then  she  stepped  back 
and  sat  down,  looking  with  a  pleasant  face  at  the  Minister. 
'I  would  fain  apologise  for  troubling  your  excellency,'  the 
Mayor  began  slowly  and  heavily.  'But  the  times  are 
trying.' 

'Your  presence  needs  no  apology,  Master  Hofman,'  my 
lady  answered,  smiling  frankly.  '  It  is  your  right  to  see 
me  on  behalf  of  the  town  at  all  times.  It  would  grieve 
me  much,  if  you  did  not  sometimes  exercise  the  privilege. 
And  for  Master  Dietz,  who  may  be  able  to  assist  us,  I  am 
glad  to  see  him  also.' 

The  Minister  bowed  low.  The  Burgomaster  only  puffed 
out  his  cheeks.  Doubtless  he  felt  that  courage  at  the  Red 
Hart  and  courage  in  my  lady's  parlour  were  two  different 
things.  But  it  was  too  late  to  retreat,  for  the  Minister  was 
there  to  report  what  passed ;  and  after  a  glance  at  Dietz's 
face  he  proceeded.  '  I  am  not  here  in  a  private  capacity, 
if  it  please  your  excellency,'  he  said.  '  And  I  beg  your 
excellency  to  bear  this  in  mind.  I  am  here  as  Burgo- 
master, having  on  my  mind  the  peace  of  the  town ;  which 
at  present  is  endangered  —  very  greatly  endangered,'  he 
repeated  pompously. 

'  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,'  my  lady  answered. 

1  Nevertheless  it  is  so,'  he  replied  with  a  kind  of  obsti- 
nacy. '  Endangered  by  the  presence  of  certain  persons  in 
the  town,  whose  manners  are  not  conformable.  These 
persons  are  Papists,  and  the  town,  your  excellency  remem- 
bers, is  a  Protestant  town.' 

'  Certainly  I  remember  that,'  my  lady  said  gravely. 

'  Hence  of  this  combination,  your  excellency  will  under- 
stand, comes  a  likelihood  of  evil,'  he  continued.  '  On  which, 
hearing  you  took  an  interest  in  these  persons,  however  little 
deserved,  it  seemed  to  be  my  duty  to  lay  the  matter  before 
you.' 

'You  have  done   very  rightly,'  the  Countess  answered 


26  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

quietly.  '  Do  I  understand  then,  Master  Hofman,  that  the 
Papists  you  complain  of  are  conspiring  to  break  the  peace 
of  the  town  ? ' 

The  Burgomaster  gasped.  He  was  too  obtuse  to  see  at 
once  that  my  lady  was  playing  with  him.  He  only  won- 
dered how  he  had  managed  to  convey  so  strange  a  notion 
to  her  mind.  He  hastened  to  set  her  right.  '  No  —  oh, 
no,'  he  said.  'There  is  no  fear  of  that.  There  are  but 
three  of  them.' 

'Are  they  presuming  to  perform  their  rites  in  public 
then  ?' my  lady  rejoined.  'If  so,  of  course  it  cannot  be 
permitted.  It  is  against  the  law  of  the  town.' 

1  No,'  he  answered,  more  slowly  and  more  reluctantly  as 
the  drift  of  her  questions  began  to  dawn  upon  him.  '  I 
do  not  know  that  that  is  so.  I  have  not  heard  that  it  is 
so.  But  they  are  Papists.' 

'Well,  but  with  their  consciences  we  have  nothing  to 
do ! '  she  said  more  sharply.  '  I  confess,  I  fail  as  yet  to 
see,  Master  Hofman,  how  they  threaten  the  peace  of  the 
town.' 

The  Burgomaster  stared.  'I  do  not  know  that  they 
threaten  it  themselves,'  he  said  slowly.  'But  their  pres- 
ence stirs  up  the  people,  if  your  excellency  understands ; 
and  may  lead,  if  the  matter  goes  on,  to  a  riot  or  worse.' 

'  Ha !  Now  I  comprehend ! '  my  lady  cried  in  a  hearty 
tone.  '  You  fear  your  constables  may  fail  to  cope  with 
the  rabble  ? ' 

He  admitted  that  that  was  so. 

'  And  you  desire  such  assistance  as  I  can  offer  towards 
maintaining  the  law  and  protecting  these  persons ;  who 
have  of  course  a  right  to  protection  ? ' 

Master  Hofman  began  to  see  whither  he  had  been  led, 
and  glared  at  the  Countess  with  his  mouth  wide  open. 
But  for  the  moment  he  could  not  find  a  word  to  say. 
Never  did  I  see  a  man  look  more  at  a  loss. 

'  Well,  I  must  consider,'  my  lady  resumed,  her  finger  to 
her  cheek.  '  Rest  assured,  you  shall  be  supported.  Martin,' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  27 

she  continued,  turning  to  ine,  'let  word  be  sent  to  the  four 
foresters  at  Gatz  to  come  down  to  the  castle  this  evening. 
And  send  also  to  the  charcoal-burners'  camp.  How  many 
men  should  there  be  in  it  ? ' 

'  Some  half-score,  my  lady,'  I  answered,  adding  two- 
thirds  to  the  truth. 

'  Ah  ?  And  let  the  huntsman  come  down  and  bring  a 
couple  of  feeders.  Doubtless  with  our  own  men,  we  shall 
be  able  to  place  a  score  or  thirty  at  your  disposal,  Master 
Hofman,  and  stout  fellows.  These,  with  your  constables 
and  such  of  the  peaceful  burghers  as  you  see  fit  to  call  to 
your  assistance,  should  be  sufficient  to  quell  the  disorderly.' 

I  could  have  laughed  aloud,  Master  Hofman  looked  so 
confounded.  Never  man  had  an  air  of  being  more  com- 
pletely taken  aback.  By  offering  her  help  to  put  down  any 
mob,  the  Countess  had  deprived  him  of  the  plea  he  had 
come  to  prefer ;  that  he  was  afraid  he  could  not  answer  for 
the  safety  of  the  Papists,  and  that  therefore  they  must  with- 
draw or  be  expelled.  This  he  could  no  longer  put  forward, 
and  consequently  he  was  driven  either  to  adopt  my  lady's 
line,  or  side  openly  with  the  party  of  disorder.  I  saw  his 
heavy  face  turn  a  deep  red,  and  his  jaw  fall,  as  he  grasped 
the  situation.  His  wits  worked  slowly;  and  had  he  been 
left  to  himself,  I  do  not  doubt  that  he  would  have  allowed 
things  to  remain  as  they  were,  and  taken  the  part  assigned 
to  him. 

But  Master  Dietz,  who  had  listened  with  a  lengthening 
face,  at  this  moment  interposed.  'Will  your  excellency 
permit  me  to  say  a  few  words  ?  '  he  said. 

'I  think  the  Burgomaster  has  made  the  matter  clear,' 
my  lady  answered. 

'Not  in  one  respect,'  the  Minister  rejoined.  'He  has 
not  informed  your  excellency  that  in  the  opinion  of  the 
majority  of  the  burghers  and  inhabitants  of  this  town  the 
presence  of  these  people  is  an  offence  and  an  eyesore.' 

'It  is  legal,'  my  lady  answered  icily.  'I  do  not  know 
what  opinion  has  to  do  with  it.' 


28  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

1  The  opinion  of  the  majority.' 

'  Sir ! '  iny  lady  said,  speaking  abruptly  and  with  height 
ened  colour,  'in  Heritzburg  1  am  the  majority,  by  your 
leave.' 

He  frowned  and  set  his  face  hard,  but  his  eyes  sank 
before  hers.  'Nevertheless  your  excellency  will  allow,' 
he  said  in  a  lower  tone,  '  that  the  opinion  of  grave  and 
orderly  men  deserves  consideration  ?  ' 

'  When  it  is  on  the  side  of  law,  every  consideration,'  the 
Countess  answered,  her  eyes  sparkling.  'But  when  it  is 
ranged  against  three  defenceless  people  in  violation  of  the 
law,  none.  And  more,  Master  Dietz,'  she  continued,  her 
voice  ringing  with  indignation,  '  it  is  to  check  such  opinion, 
and  defend  against  it  those  who  otherwise  would  have  no 
defence,  that  I  conceive  I  sit  here.  And  by  my  faith  I 
will  do  it ! ' 

She  uttered  the  last  words  with  so  much  fire  and  with 
her  beautiful  face  so  full  of  feeling,  that  I  started  forward 
where  I  stood ;  and  for  a  farthing  would  have  flung  Dietz 
through  the  window.  The  little  Minister  was  of  a  stern 
and  hard  nature,  however.  The  nobility  of  my  lady's  posi- 
tion was  lost  upon  him.  He  feared  her  less  than  he  would 
have  feared  a  man  under  the  same  circumstances;  and 
though  he  stood  cowed,  and  silenced  for  the  moment,  he 
presently  returned  to  the  attack. 

'  Your  excellency  perhaps  forgets,'  he  said  with  a  dry 
cough,  'that  the  times  are  full  of  bloodshed  and  strife, 
though  we  at  Heritzburg  have  hitherto  enjoyed  peace.  I 
suggest  with  respect  therefore,  is  it  prudent  to  run  the 
risk  of  bringing  these  evils  into  the  town  for  the  sake  of 
one  or  two  Papists,  whom  it  is  only  proposed  to  send  else- 
where ? ' 

My  lady  rose  suddenly  from  her  chair,  and  pointed  with 
a  finger,  which  trembled  slightly,  to  the  great  window 
beside  her.  '  Step  up  here  ! '  she  said  curtly. 

Master  Dietz,  wondering  greatly,  stepped  on  to  the  dais. 
Thence  the  red  roofs  of  the  town,  some  new  and  smart,  and 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  29 

some  stained  and  grey  with  lichens,  and  all  the  green  valley 
stretching  away  to  the  dark  line  of  wood,  were  visible, 
bathed  in  sunshine.  The  day  was  fine,  the  air  clear,  the 
smoke  from  the  chimneys  rose  straight  upward. 

'  Do  you  see  ?  '  she  said. 

The  Minister  bowed. 

'Then  take  this  for  answer,'  she  replied.  '  All  that  you 
see  is  mine  to  rule.  It  came  to  me  by  inheritance,  and 
I  prize  the  possession  of  it,  though  I  am  a  woman,  more 
highly  than  my  life ;  for  it  came  to  me  from  Heaven  and 
my  fathers.  But  were  it  a  hundred  times  as  large,  Master 
Dietz —  were  there  a  house  for  every  brick  that  now  stands 
there,  and  an  acre  for  every  furrow,  and  sheep  as  many 
as  birds  in  the  air,  even  then  I  would  risk  all,  and  double 
and  treble  all,  rather  than  desert  those  whom  rny  law  de- 
fends, be  they  three,  or  thirty,  or  three  hundred !  Let  that 
be  your  answer !  And  for  the  peace  you  speak  of,'  she 
continued,  turning  on  a  sudden  and  confronting  us,  her  face 
aglow  with  anger,  '  the  peace,  I  mean,  which  you  have 
hitherto  enjoyed,  it  should  shame  you  to  hear  it  men- 
tioned !  Have  the  Papists  harried  you  ?  Have  you  suf- 
fered in  life  or  limb,  or  property  ?  No.  And  why  ? 
Because  of  my  honoured  uncle,  a  Papist !  For  shame  !  — 
for  shame,  I  say  !  As  it  has  been  dealt  out  to  you,  go 
and  do  to  others ! ' 

But  for  the  respect  which  held  me  in  her  presence,  I 
could  have  cried  '  Huzza  ! '  to  her  speech  ;  and  I  can  tell  you, 
it  made  Master  Minister  look  as  small  as  a  mouse.  He 
stepped  down  from  the  dais  with  his  face  dark  and  his 
head  trembling;  and  after  that  I  never  doubted  that  he 
was  at  the  bottom  of  the  movement  against  the  Worts, 
though  the  ruffianly  deserters  I  have  mentioned  supplied 
him  with  the  tools,  wanting  which  he  might  not  have 
taken  up  the  work.  He  stood  a  moment  on  the  floor 
looking  very  black  and  grim,  and  with  not  a  word  to  say, 
but  I  doubted  he  was  not  beaten.  What  line  he  would 
have  taken,  however,  I  cannot  tell,  for  he  had  scarcely 


30  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

descended  —  my  lady  had  not  resumed  her  seat  —  when 
there  rose  from  the  court  below  a  sudden  babel  of  noise, 
the  trampling  of  hoofs  and  feet  on  the  pavement,  and  a 
confused  murmur  of  voices.  For  a  moment  I  looked  at  my 
lady  and  she  at  me.  It  struck  me  that  that  at  which  the 
Burgomaster  had  hinted  was  come  to  pass:  that  some  of 
the  town  ragamuffins  had  dared  to  invade  the  castle.  The 
same  idea  doubtless  occurred  to  her,  for  she  stepped,  though 
without  any  appearance  of  alarm,  to  the  window,  which 
commanded  a  side  view  of  the  terrace.  She  looked  out. 

I,  a  little  to  her  right,  saw  her  smile  ;  then  in  a  moment 
she  turned.  'This  could  not  be  better,'  she  said,  resuming 
in  an  instant  her  ordinary  manner.  I  think  she  was  a  little 
ashamed,  as  people  of  quality  are  wont  to  be,  of  the  feel- 
ing she  had  betrayed.  '  I  see  some  one  below  who  will 
advise  me,  and  who,  if  I  am  doing  wrong,  as  you  seem  to 
fear,  Master  Burgomaster,  will  tell  me  of  it.  My  cousin, 
the  Waldgrave  Rupert,  whom  I  expected  to-morrow,  has 
arrived  to-day.  Be  good  enough  to  wait  while  I  receive 
him,  and  I  will  then  return  to  you.' 

Bidding  me  have  the  two  served  with  some  refreshment, 
she  stepped  down  from  the  dais,  and  withdrew  with  Frau- 
lein  Max  and  her  women,  leaving  the  townsmen  to  discuss 
the  new  arrival  with  what  appetite  they  might. 

They  liked  it  little,  I  fancy.  In  a  moment  their  impor- 
tance was  gone,  their  consequence  at  an  end.  The  name  of 
the  Waldgrave  Rupert  made  them  feel  how  small  they 
were,  despite  their  boasting,  beside  the  youngest  member 
of  the  family.  The  very  swish  of  my  lady's  robe  as  she 
swept  through  the  doorway  flouted  them,  her  departure 
was  an  offence ;  and  this,  following  on  the  scolding  they 
had  received,  produced  a  soreness  and  irritation  in  their 
minds,  which  ill-prepared  them,  I  think,  for  the  sequel. 

I  have  sometimes  thought  that  had  I  remained  with 
them,  and  paid  them  some  attentions,  the  end  might  have 
been  different ;  but  my  duties  called  me  elsewhere.  The 
house  was  in  a  ferment ;  I  was  wanted  here  and  there, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  31 

both  to  give  orders  and  to  see  them  carried  out.  It  was 
some  time  before  I  was  at  liberty  even  to  go  to  the  hall 
whither  my  lady  had  descended  to  receive  her  guest,  and 
where  I  found  the  two  standing  together  on  the  hearth, 
under  the  great  Red  Hart  which  is  the  cognizance  of  the 
family. 

I  had  not  seen  the  Waldgrave  Rupert  —  a  cadet  of  the 
noble  house  of  Weimar  and  my  lady's  cousin  once  removed 
—  since  his  boyhood.  I  found  him  grown  into  a  splendid 
man,  as  tall  and  almost  as  wide  as  myself ;  who  used  to  be 
called  in  the  old  forest  days  before  I  entered  my  lady's  ser- 
vice 'the  strong  man  of  Pippel.'  As  he  stood  on  the 
hearth,  fair-haired  and  ruddy-faced,  with  a  noble  carriage 
and  a  frank  boyish  smile,  I  had  seldom  looked  on  a  hand- 
somer youth.  He  fell  short  of  my  lady's  age  by  two  years ; 
but  as  I  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  they  seemed  so 
fitting  a  pair,  the  disparity  went  for  nothing.  He  was 
young  and  strong,  full  of  spirit  and  energy  and  fire. 
Surely,  I  thought,  the  right  man  has  come  at  last ! 

In  this  belief  I  was  more  than  confirmed  when  he  came 
forward  and  greeted  me  pleasantly,  vowing  that  he  remem- 
bered me  well.  His  voice  and  laugh  seemed  to  fill  the 
room ;  the  very  ring  of  his  spurs  on  the  stones  gave  assur- 
ance of  power.  I  saw  my  lady  look  at  him  with  an  air  of 
affectionate  pride  —  she  had  seen  him  more  lately  than  I 
had  —  as  if  his  youth,  and  strength,  and  beauty  already 
belonged  to  her.  As  for  his  smile,  it  was  infectious.  We 
grew  in  a  moment  brighter,  younger,  and  more  cheerful.  The 
house  which  yesterday  had  seemed  quiet  and  lonesome  — 
we  were  a  small  family  for  so  great  a  dwelling  —  took  on  a 
new  air.  The  servants  went  about  their  tasks  more  quickly, 
the  maids  laughed  behind  doors.  The  place  seemed  in  an 
hour  transformed,  as  I  have  seen  a  valley  in  the  mountains 
changed  on  a  sudden  by  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

As  a  fact,  when  I  had  been  in  his  presence  five  minutes, 
the  Burgomaster  and  the  Minister  upstairs  seemed  as 
common  and  mean  and  insignificant  a  pair  of  fellows  as 


32  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

any  in  Germany.  I  wondered  that  I  could  ever  have 
feared  them.  The  Countess  had  told  him  the  story,  and  he 
asked  me  one  or  two  questions  about  them,  his  tone  high, 
and  his  head  in  the  air.  I  answered  him,  and  was  for 
accompanying  him  upstairs,  when  he  went  to  see  them,  with 
my  lady  by  his  side,  and  his  whip  slapping  his  great  thigh 
boots  until  the  staircase  rang  again.  But  my  lady  had  an 
errand  and  sent  me  on  it,  and  so  I  was  not  present  at  the 
end  of  this  interview  which  I  had  myself  brought  about. 

But  I  suppose  that  the  scolding  my  lady  had  given  them 
was  no  more  than  a  flea-bite  beside  the  rating  the  young 
Waldgrave  inflicted !  It  was  notorious  for  a  score  of  leagues 
round,  and  he  told  them  so  in  good  round  terms,  that  the 
Heritzburg  land  had  been  spared  by  friend  and  foe  for  Count 
Tilly's  sake ;  for  his  sake  and  his  alone  —  a  Papist.  How, 
then,  he  asked  them,  had  they  the  face  to  do  this  dirty 
trick,  and  threaten  my  lady  besides  ?  With  much  more  of 
the  same  kind,  and  hard  words,  not  to  say  menaces ;  spar- 
ing neither  Mayor  nor  Minister,  so  that  they  went  off 
at  last  like  whipped  dogs  or  thieves  that  have  seen  the 
gallows. 

Afterwards  something  was  said ;  but  at  the  time  no  one 
missed  them.  Except  by  myself,  scarce  a  thought  was 
given  to  them  after  they  went  out  of  the  door.  The  house 
was  all  agog  about  the  new-comer  ;  the  still-room  full  of  work 
and  the  chimneys  smoking.  The  young  lord  was  every- 
where, and  the  maids  were  mad  about  him.  I  had  my 
hands  full,  and  every  one  in  the  house  seemed  to  be  in 
the  same  case.  No  one  had  time,  to  look  abroad. 

Except  Fraulein  Anna  Max,  my  lady's  companion.  I 
found  her  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  sitting  alone 
in  the  hall.  She  had  a  book  before  her  as  usual,  but  on 
my  entrance  she  pushed  it  away  from  her,  and  looked  up 
at  me,  screwing  up  her  eyes  in  the  odd  way  peculiar  to  her. 

'Well,  Master  Steward,'  she  said  —  and  her  voice  sounded 
ill-natured,  '  so  the  fire  has  been  lit  —  but  not  by  you.' 

'  The  fire  ? '  I  answered,  utterly  at  a  loss  for  the  moment. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  33 

'  Ay,'  she  rejoined,  with  a  bitter  smile,  '  the  fire.  Don't 
you  hear  it  burning  ?  ' 

'  I  hear  nothing,'  I  said  coldly. 

'  Go  to  the  terrace,  and  perhaps  you  will ! '  she  answered. 

Her  words  filled  me  with  a  vague  uneasiness,  but  I  was 
too  proud  to  go  then  or  seem  to  heed  them.  An  hour  or  two 
later,  however,  when  the  sun  was  half  down,  and  the 
shadows  of  the  chimneys  lay  far  over  the  roofs,  and 
the  eastern  woods  were  aglow,  I  went  to  the  wall  which 
bounds  the  terrace  and  looked  down.  The  hum  of  the 
town  came  up  to  my  ears  as  it  has  come  up  to  that  wall 
any  time  these  hundred  years.  But  was  I  mistaken,  or  did 
there  mingle  with  it  this  evening  a  harsher  note  than 
usual,  a  rancorous  murmur,  as  of  angry  voices ;  and  some- 
thing sterner,  lower,  and  more  menacing,  the  clamour  of  a 
great  crowd  ? 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   FIRE   ALIGHT. 

I  LAUGH  ED  at  my  own  fears  when  the  morning  came,  and 
showed  no  change  except  that  cheerful  one,  which  our 
guest's  presence  had  worked  inside  the  castle.  Below,  to- 
day was  as  yesterday.  The  sun  shone  as  brightly  on  the 
roofs,  the  smoke  of  the  chimneys  rose  as  peacefully  in  the 
air ;  the  swallows  circling  round  the  eaves  swung  this  way 
and  that  as  swiftly  and  noiselessly  as  of  old.  The  common 
sounds  of  everyday  life,  the  clank  of  the  pump  in  the 
market-place  as  the  old  crones  drew  water,  and  the  cry  of 
the  wood-cutter  hawking  his  stuff,  alone  broke  the  stillness. 
I  sniffed  the  air,  and  smiling  at  Fraulein  Anna's  warning, 
went  back  into  the  house,  where  any  fears  which  yet 
lingered  in  my  mind  took  instant  flight  at  sound  of  the 
Waldgrave's  voice,  so  cheerful  was  it,  so  full  of  life  and 
strength  and  confidence. 

I 


34  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

I  do  not  know  what  it  was  iu  him,  but  something  there 
was  which  carried  us  all  the  way  he  wished  us  to  go.  Did 
he  laugh  at  the  thought  of  danger ;  straightway  we  laughed 
too,  and  this  though  I  knew  Heritzburg  and  he  did  not.  Did 
he  speak  scornfully  of  the  burghers  ;  forthwith  they  seemed 
to  us  a  petty  lot.  When  he  strode  up  and  down  the  terrace, 
showing  us  how  a  single  gun  placed  here  or  there,  or  in  the 
corner,  would  in  an  hour  reduce  the  town ;  on  the  instant 
we  deemed  him  a  Tilly.  When  he  dubbed  Hofman  and 
Dietz,  '  Old  Fat  and  Lean,'  the  groom-boys,  who  could  not 
be  kept  from  his  heels,  sniggered,  and  had  to  be  whipped 
back  to  the  stables.  In  a  word,  he  won  us  all.  His  youth, 
his  gaiety,  his  confiderice,  were  irresistible. 

He  dared  even  to  scold  my  lady,  saying  that  she  had 
cosseted  the  townsfolk  and  brought  this  trouble  on  herself 
by  pleasuring  them  ;  and  she,  who  seemed  to  us  the  proudest 
of  the  proud,  took  it  meekly,  laughing  in  his  face.  It  re- 
quired no  conjuror  to  perceive  that  he  admired  her,  and 
would  fain  shine  in  her  presence.  That  was  to  be  expected. 
But  about  my  mistress  I  was  less  certain,  until  after 
breakfast  nothing  would  suit  her  but  an  immediate  excur- 
sion to  the  White  Maiden  —  the  great  grey  spire  which 
stands  on  the  summit  of  the  Oberwald.  Then  I  knew  that 
she  had  it  in  her  mind  to  make  the  best  figure  she  could ; 
for  though  she  talked  of  showing  him  game  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  there  was  a  grand  parade  of  taking  dogs,  all  the 
world  knows  that  the  other  side  of  the  valley  is  the  bet- 
ter hunting-ground.  I  was  left  to  guess  that  the  White 
Maiden  was  chosen  because  all  the  wide  Heritzburg  land  can 
be  seen  from  its  foot,  and  not  corn  and  woodland,  pasture 
and  meadow  only,  but  the  gem  of  all  —  the  town  nestling 
babelike  in  the  lap  of  the  valley,  with  the  grey  towers  rising 
like  the  face  of  some  harsh  nurse  above  it. 

My  lord  jumped  at  the  plan.  Doubtless  he  liked  the 
prospect  of  a  ride  through  the  forest  by  her  side.  When 
she  raised  some  little  demur,  stepping  in  the  way  of  her 
own  proposal,  as  I  have  noticed  women  will,  and  said  some- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A,  35 

thing  about  the  safety  of  the  castle,  if  so  many  left  it,  he 
cried  out  eagerly  that  she  need  not  fear. 

'  I  will  leave  my  people/  he  said.  '  Then  you  will  feel 
quite  sure  that  the  place  is  safe.  I  will  answer  for  them 
that  they  will  hold  your  castle  against  Wallenstein  himself.' 

'  But  how  many  are  with  you  ? '  my  lady  asked  curi- 
ously ;  a  little  in  mischief  too,  perhaps,  for  I  think  she 
knew. 

His  handsome  face  reddened  and  he  looked  rather  foolish 
for  a  moment.  '  Well,  only  four,  as  a  fact,'  he  said.  '  But 
they  are  perfect  paladins,  and  as  good  as  forty.  In  your 
defence,  cousin,  I  would  pit  them  against  a  score  of  the 
hardiest  Swedes  that  ever  followed  the  King.' 

My  lady  laughed  gaily. 

'Well,  for  this  day,  I  will  trust  them,'  she  said. 
'Martin,  order  the  grooms  to  saddle  Pushka  for  me.  And 
you,  cousin,  shall  have  the  honour  of  mounting  me.  It  is 
an  age  since  I  have  had  a  frolic.' 

Sometimes  I  doubt  if  my  lady  ever  had  such  a  frolic 
again.  Happier  days  she  saw,  I  think,  and  many  and  many 
of  them,  I  hope ;  but  such  a  day  of  careless  sunny  gaiety, 
spent  in  the  May  greenwood,  with  joy  and  youth  riding  by 
her,  with  old  servants  at  her  heels,  and  all  the  beauties  of 
her  inheritance  spread  before  her  in  light  and  shadow,  she 
never  again  enjoyed.  We  went  by  forest  paths,  which 
winding  round  the  valley,  passed  through  woodlands, 
where  the  horses  sank  fetlock-deep  in  moss,  and  the  laugh- 
ing voices  of  the  riders  died  away  among  the  distant  trunks. 
Here  were  fairy  rings  deep-plunged  in  bracken,  and  chalky 
bottoms  whence  springs  rose  bright  as  crystal,  and  dim 
aisles  of  beeches  narrowing  into  darkness,  where  last  year's 
leaves  rustled  ghostlike  under  foot,  and  the  shadow  of  a 
squirrel  startled  the  boldest.  Once,  emerging  on  the  open 
down  where  the  sun  lay  hot  and  bright,  my  lady  gave  her 
horse  the  rein,  and  for  a  mile  or  more  we  sped  across  the 
turf,  with  hoofs  thundering  on  either  hand,  and  bits  jin- 
gling, and  horses  pulling,  only  to  fall  into  a  walk  again  with 


36  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

flushed  cheeks  and  brighter  eyes,  on  the  edge  of  the  farther 
wood.  Thence  another  mile,  athwart  the  steep  hillside 
through  dwarf  oaks  and  huge  blackthorn  trees,  brought  us 
to  the  foot  of  the  Maiden,  and  we  drew  rein  and  dismounted, 
and  stood  looking  down  on  the  vale  of  Heritzburg,  while 
the  grooms  unpacked  the  dinner. 

There  is  a  niche  in  the  great  pillar,  a  man's  height  from 
the  ground,  in  which  one  person  may  conveniently  sit. 
The  young  Waldgrave  spied  it. 

'  Up  to  the  throne,  cousin  ! '  he  cried,  and  he  helped  her 
to  it,  sitting  himself  on  the  ledge  at  her  feet,  with  his  legs 
dangling.  '  Why,  there  is  the  Werra  ! '  he  continued. 

A  large  quantity  of  rain  had  fallen  that  spring,  and  the 
river  which  commonly  runs  low  between  its  banks,  was 
plainly  visible,  a  silver  streak  crossing  the  distant  mouth 
of  the  valley. 

'Yes,'  my  lady  answered.  'That  is  the  Werra,  and 
beyond  it  is,  I  suppose,  the  world.' 

'  Whither  I  must  go  back  this  day  week,'  he  said,  between 
sighing  and  smiling.  '  Then,  hey  for  the  south  and  Nurem- 
berg, the  good  cause  and  the  great  King.' 

'  You  have  seen  him  ?  ' 

'Once  only.' 

'And  is  he  so  great  a  fighter  ?'  my  lady  asked  curiously. 

'  How  can  he  fail  to  be  when  he  and  his  men  fight  and 
pray  alternately,'  the  Waldgrave  answered;  'when  there 
is  no  license  in  the  camp,  and  a  Swede  thinks  death  the 
same  as  victory  ? ' 

'  Where  is  he  nqw  ?  ' 

'  At  Munich,  in  Bavaria.' 

'  How  it  would  have  grieved  my  uncle,'  my  lady  said, 
with  a  sigh. 

'  He  died  as  he  would  have  wished  to  die,'  the  Waldgrave 
answered  gently.  '  He  believed  in  his  cause,  as  the  King 
of  Sweden  believes  in  his ;  and  he  died  for  it.  What  more 
can  a  man  ask  ?  But  here  is  Franz  with  all  sorts  of  good 
things.  And  I  am  afraid  a  feast  of  beauty,  however  per- 
fect, does  not  prevent  a  man  getting  hungry.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  37 

'That  is  a  very  pretty  compliment  to  Heritzburg,'  my 
lady  said,  laughing. 

'  Or  its  chatelaine  ! '  I  heard  him  murmur,  with  a  tender 
look.  But  my  lady  only  laughed  again  and  called  to  me  to 
come  and  name  the  hills,  and  tell  my  lord  what  land  went 
with  each  of  the  three  hamlets  between  which  the  lower 
valley  is  divided. 

Doubtless  that  was  but  one  of  a  hundred  gallant  things 
he  said  to  her,  and  whereat  she  laughed,  during  the  pleas- 
ant hour  they  whiled  away  at  the  foot  of  the  pillar,  bask- 
ing in  the  warm  sunshine,  and  telling  the  valley  farm  by 
farm.  For  the  day  was  perfect,  the  season  spring.  I  lay 
on  my  side  and  dreamed  my  own  dream  under  the  trees, 
with  the  hum  of  insects  in  my  ears.  No  one  was  in  a 
hurry  to  rise,  or  set  a  term  to  such  a  time. 

Still  we  had  plenty  of  daylight  before  us  when  my  lady 
mounted  and  turned  her  face  homewards,  thinking  to  reach 
the  castle  a  little  after  five.  But  a  hare  got  up  as  we 
crossed  the  open  down,  and  showing  good  sport,  as  these 
long-legged  mountain  hares  will,  led  its  far  out  of  our  way, 
and  caused  us  to  spend  nearly  an  hour  in  the  chase.  Then 
my  lady  spied  a  rare  flower  on  the  cliffside  ;  and  the  young 
Waldgrave  must  needs  get  it  for  her.  And  so  it  wanted 
little  of  sunset  when  we  came  at  last  in  sight  of  the  bridge 
which  spans  the  ravine  at  the  back  of  the  castle.  I  saw  in 
the  distance  a  lad  seated  on  the  parapet,  apparently  looking 
out  for  us,  but  I  thought  nothing  of  it.  The  descent  was 
steep  and  we  rode  down  slowly,  my  lady  and  the  Wald- 
grave laughing  and  talking,  and  the  rest  of  us  sitting  at 
our  ease.  Nor  did  the  least  thought  of  ill  occur  to  my 
mind  until  I  saw  that  the  lad  had  jumped  down  from  the 
wall  and  was  running  towards  us  waving  his  cap. 

My  lady,  too,  saw  him. 

'  What  is  it,  Martin  ? '  she  said,  turning  her  head  to 
speak  to  me. 

I  told  her  I  would  see,  and  trotted  forward  along  the  side 
of  the  path  until  I  came  within  call.  Then  I  cried  sharply  to 


38  MY  LADY  ROTH  A 

the  lad  to  know  what  it  was.  I  saw  something  in  his  face 
which  frightened  me ;  and  being  frightened  and  blaming 
myself,  I  was  ready  to  fall  on  the  first  I  met. 

'  The  town  ! '  he  answered,  panting  up  to  my  stirrup. 
'There  is  fighting  going  on,  Master  Martin.  They  are 
pulling  down  Klink's  house.' 

'  So,  so,'  I  answered,  for  at  the  first  sight  of  his  face  I 
had  feared  worse.  '  Have  you  closed  the  gate  at  the  head 
of  the  steps  ?  ' 

'Yes,'  he  said,  'and  my  lord's  men  are  guarding  it.' 

'  Right ! '  I  answered.  And  then  my  lady  came  up,  and 
I  had  to  break  the  news  to  her.  Of  course  the  young 
Waldgrave  heard  also,  and  I  saw  his  eyes  sparkle  with 
pleasure. 

'  Ha  !  the  rascals  ! '  he  cried.  '  Now  we  will  trounce 
them  !  Trust  me,  cousin,  we  will  teach  these  boors  such  a 
lesson  as  they  shall  long  remember.  But  what  is  it  ? '  he 
continued,  turning  to  my  lady  who  had  not  spoken.  'The 
Queen  of  Heritzburg  is  not  afraid  of  her  rebellious  sub- 
jects ? ' 

My  lady's  eyes  flashed.  '  No,  I  am  not  afraid,'  she  said, 
with  contempt.  '  But  Klink's  house  ?  Do  you  mean  the 
Red  Hart,  Martin  ? ' 

1  said  I  did. 

She  plucked  her  horse  by  the  head,  and  stopped  short 
under  the  arch  of  the  gateway.  I  think  I  see  her  now 
bending  from  her  saddle  with  the  light  on  the  woods  be- 
hind her,  and  her  face  in  shadow.  '  Then  those  people  are 
in  danger ! '  she  said,  her  voice  quivering  with  excitement. 
'Martin,  take  what  men  you  have  and  go  down  into  the 
town.  Bring  them  off  at  all  risks !  See  to  it  your- 
self. If  harm  come  to  them,  I  shall  not  forgive  you 
easily.' 

The  Waldgrave  sprang  from  his  horse,  and  cried  out 
that  he  would  go.  But  my  lady  called  to  him  to  stay 
with  her. 

4  Martin  knows  the  streets,  and  you  do  not,'  she  said, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  39 

sliding  unassisted  to  the  ground.  '  But  he  shall  take  your 
men,  if  you  do  not  object.' 

We  dismounted,  in  a  confused  medley  of  men  and  horses, 
in  the  stable  court,  which  is  small,  and  being  surrounded 
by  high  buildings,  was  almost  dark.  The  grooms  left  at 
home  had  gone  to  the  front  of  the  house  to  see  the  sight, 
and  there  was  no  one  to  receive  us.  I  bade  the  five  men 
who  had  ridden  with  us  get  their  arms,  and  leaving  the 
horses  loose  to  be  caught  and  cared  for  by  the  lad  who  had 
met  us,  I  hastened  after  my  lady  and  the  Waldgrave,  who 
had  already  disappeared  under  the  arch  which  leads  to 
the  Terrace  Court. 

To  pass  through  this  was  to  pass  from  night  to  day,  so 
startling  was  the  change.  From  one  end  to  the  other  the 
terrace  was  aglow  with  red  light.  The  last  level  beams  of 
the  sun  shone  straight  in  our  eyes  as  we  emerged,  and  so 
blinded  us,  that  I  advanced,  seeing  nothing  before  me  but 
a  row  of  dark  figures  leaning  over  the  parapet.  If  we 
could  not  see,  however,  we  could  hear.  A  hoarse  murmur, 
unlike  anything  I  had  heard  before,  came  up  from  the 
town,  and  rising  and  falling  in  waves  of  sound,  now  a 
mere  whisper,  and  now  a  dull  savage  roar,  caused  the 
boldest  to  tremble.  I  heard  my  lady  cry,  '  Those  poor 
people !  Those  poor  people  ! '  and  saw  her  clench  her  hands 
in  impotent  anger ;  and  that  sight,  or  the  sound  —  which 
seemed  the  more  weirdly  menacing  as  the  town  lay  in  twi- 
light below  us,  and  we  could  make  out  no  more  than  a  few 
knots  of  women  standing  in  the  market-place — or  it  may 
be  some  memory  of  the  helpless  girl  I  had  seen  at  Klink's, 
so  worked  upon  me  that  I  had  got  the  gate  unbarred  and 
was  standing  at  the  head  of  the  steps  outside  before  I 
knew  that  I  had  stirred  or  given  an  order. 

Some  one  thrust  a  half  pike  into  my  hand,  and  mechani- 
cally I  counted  out  the  men  —  four  of  the  Waldgrave's  and 
five,  six,  seven  of  our  own.  A  strange  voice  —  but  it  may 
have  been  my  own  —  cried,  '  Not  by  the  High  Street. 
Through  the  lane  by  the  wall ! '  and  the  next  moment  we 


40  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

were  down  out  of  the  sunlight  and  taking  the  rough  steps 
three  at  a  time.  The  High  Street  reached,  we  swung  round 
in  a  body  to  the  right,  and  plunging  into  Shoe  Wynd,  came 
to  the  locksmith's,  and  thence  went  on  by  the  way  I  had 
gone  that  other  evening. 

The  noise  was  less  down  in  the  streets.  The  houses 
intervened  and  deadened  it.  At  some  of  the  doors  women 
were  standing,  listening  and  looking  out  with  grey  faces, 
but  one  and  all  fled  in  at  our  approach,  which  seemed  to 
be  the  signal,  wherever  we ,  came,  for  barring  doors  and 
shooting  bolts ;  once  a  man  took  to  his  heels  before  us, 
and  again  near  the  locksmith's  we  encountered  a  woman 
bare-headed  and  carrying  something  in  her  arms.  She 
almost  ran  into  the  midst  of  us,  and  at  the  last  moment 
only  avoided  us  by  darting  up  the  side-alley  by  the  forge. 
Whether  these  people  knew  us  for  what  we  were,  and  so 
fled  from  us,  or  took  us  for  a  party  of  the  rioters,  it  was 
impossible  to  say.  The  narrow  lanes  were  growing  dark, 
night  was  falling  on  the  town ;  only  the  over-hanging  eaves 
showed  clear  and  black  against  a  pale  sky.  The  way  we 
had  to  go  was  short,  but  it  seemed  long  to  me ;  for  a  dozen 
times  between  the  castle  steps  and  Klink's  house  I  thought 
of  the  poor  girl  at  her  prayers,  and  pictured  what  might  be 
happening. 

Yet  we  could  not  have  been  more  than  five  minutes  going 
from  the  steps  to  the  corner  beyond  the  forge,  whence  we 
could  see  Klink's  side  window.  A  red  glare  shone  through 
it,  and  cleaving  the  dark  mist  which  tilled  the  alley  fell 
ruddily  on  the  town  wall.  It  seemed  to  say  that  we  were 
too  late  ;  and  my  heart  sank  at  the  sight.  Nor  at  the  sight 
only,  for  as  we  turned  the  corner,  the  hoarse  murmur  we 
had  heard  on  the  Terrace,  and  which  even  there  had 
sounded  ominous,  swelled  to  an  angry  roar,  made  up  of 
cries  and  cursing,  with  bursts  of  reckless  cheering,  and 
now  and  again  a  yell  of  pain.  The  street  away  before  us, 
where  the  lane  ran  into  it,  was  full  of  smoky  light  and 
upturned  faces ;  but  I  took  no  heed  of  it,  my  business  was ' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  41 

with  the  window.  I  cried  to  the  men  behind  ine  and 
hurried  on  till  I  stood  before  it,  and  clutching  the  bars  — 
the  glass  was  broken  long  ago  —  looked  in. 

The  room  was  full  of  men.  For  a  moment  I  could  see 
nothing  but  heads  and  shoulders  and  grim  faces,  all 
crowded  together,  and  all  alike  distorted  by  the  lurid 
light  shed  by  a  couple  of  torches  held  close  to  the  ceiling. 
Some  of  the  men  standing  in  such  groups  as  the  constant 
jostling  permitted,  were  talking,  or  rather  shouting  to  one 
another.  Others  were  savagely  forcing  back  their  fellows 
who  wished  to  enter;  while  a  full  third  were  gathered  with 
their  faces  all  one  way  round  the  corner  where  I  had  seen 
the  sick  man.  Here  the  light  was  strongest,  and  in  this 
direction  I  gazed  most  anxiously.  But  the  crowded  figures 
intercepted  all  view;  neither  there  nor  anywhere  else 
could  I  detect  any  sign  of  the  girl  or  child.  The  men  in 
that  corner  seemed  to  be  gazing  at  something  low  down  on 
the  floor,  something  I  could  not  see.  A  few  were  silent, 
more  were  shouting  and  gesticulating. 

I  stretched  my  hands  through  the  bars,  and  grasping  a 
man  by  the  shoulders,  dragged  him  to  me.  '  What  is  it  ? ' 
I  cried  in  his  ear,  heedless  whether  he  knew  me,  or  took 
me  for  one  of  the  ruffians  who  were  everywhere  battling  to 
get  into  the  house  —  at  the  window  we  had  anticipated 
some  by  a  second  only.  '  What  is  it  ? '  I  repeated  fiercely, 
resisting  all  his  efforts  to  get  free. 

'Nothing!'  he  answered,  glaring  at  me.  'The  man  is 
dead ;  cannot  you  see  ? ' 

'  I  can  see  nothing ! '  I  retorted.     '  Dead  is  he  ? ' 

'  Ay,  dead,  and  a  good  job  too  I '  the  rascal  answered,  mak- 
ing a  fresh  attempt  to  get  away.  '  Dead  when  we  came  in.' 

<  And  the  girl  ? ' 

'Gone,  the  Papist  witch,  on  a  broomstick  !'  he  answered. 
'  Through  the  wall  or  the  ceiling  or  the  keyhole,  or  through 
this  window;  but  only  on  a  broomstick.  The  bars  would 
skin  a  cat!' 

I  let  him  go  and  looked  at  the  bars.     They  were  an  inch 


42  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

thick,  and  a  very  few  inches  apart.  It  seemed  impossible 
that  a  child,  much  more  a  grown  woman,  could  pass  be- 
tween them.  As  the  fellow  said,  there  was  barely  room  for 
a  cat  to  pass. 

Yet  my  mind  clung  to  the  bars.  Klink  might  have 
hidden  the  girl,  for  without  doubt  he  had  neither  foreseen 
nor  meant  anything  like  this.  But  something  told  me  that 
she  had  gone  by  the  window,  and  I  turned  from  it  with 
renewed  hope. 

It  was  time  I  did  turn.  The  crowd  had  got  wind  of  our 
presence  and  resented  it.  All  who  could  not  get  into  the 
house  to  slake  their  curiosity  or  anger,  had  pressed  into 
the  narrow  alley  where  we  stood,  while  the  air  rang  with 
cries  of  '  No  Popery !  Down  with  the  Papists  ! '  When  I 
turned  I  found  my  fellows  hard  put  to  it  to  keep  their 
position.  To  retreat,  close  pressed  as  we  were,  seemed  as 
difficult  as  to  stand ;  but  by  making  a  resolute  movement 
all  together,  we  charged  to  the  front  for  a  moment,  and 
then  taking  advantage  of  the  interval,  fell  back  as  quickly 
as  we  could,  facing  round  whenever  it  seemed  that  our 
followers  were  coming  on  too  boldly  for  safety. 

In  this  way,  the  knaves  with  me  being  stout  and  some  of 
them  used  to  the  work,  we  retreated  in  good  order  and 
without  hurt  as  far  as  the  end  of  Shoe  Wynd.  Then  I  dis- 
covered to  my  dismay  that  a  portion  of  the  mob  had  made 
along  the  High  Street  and  were  waiting  for  us  on  the  steep 
ascent  where  the  wynd  runs  into  the  street. 

Hitherto  no  harm  had  been  done  on  either  side,  but  we 
now  found  ourselves  beset  front  and  back,  and  to  add  to  the 
confusion  of  the  scene  night  had  set  in.  The  narrow  wynd 
was  as  dark  as  pitch,  save  where  the  light  of  a  chance  torch 
showed  crowded  forms  and  snarling  faces,  while  the  din  and 
tumult  were  enough  to  daunt  the  boldest. 

That  moment,  I  confess,  was  one  of  the  worst  I  have 
known.  I  felt  my  men  waver;  a  little  more  and  they 
might  break  and  the  mob  deal  with  us  as  it  would.  On 
the  other  hand,  I  knew  that  to  plunge,  exposed  to  attack 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  43 

as  we  were  from  behind,  into  the  mass  of  men  who  blocked 
the  way  to  the  steps,  would  be  madness.  We  should  be 
surrounded  and  trodden  down.  There  were  not  perhaps 
fifty  really  dangerous  fellows  in  the  town;  but  a  mob  I 
have  noticed  is  a  strange  thing.  Men  who  join  it,  intend- 
ing merely  to  look  on,  are  carried  away  by  excitement,  and 
soon  find  themselves  cursing  and  fighting,  burning  and 
raiding  with  the  foremost. 

A  brief  pause  and  I  gave  the  word  to  face  about  again. 
As  I  expected,  the  gang  in  the  alley  gave  way  before 
us,  and  the  pursue'd  became  the  pursuers.  My  men's  blood 
was  up  now,  their  patience  exhausted;  and  for  a  few 
moments  pike  and  staff  played  a  merry  tune.  But  quickly 
the  mob  behind  closed  up  on  our  heels.  Stones  began  to 
be  thrown,  and  presently  one,  dropped  I  think  from  a 
window,  struck  a  man  beside  me  and  felled  him  to  the 
ground. 

That  was  our  first  loss.  Drunken  Steve,  a  great  gross 
fellow,  always  in  trouble,  but  a  giant  in  strength,  picked 
him  up  —  we  could  not  leave  the  man  to  be  murdered  — 
and  plunged  on  with  us  bearing  him  under  his  arm. 

'  Good  man  ! '  I  cried  between  my  teeth.  And  I  swore  it 
should  save  the  drunkard  from  many  a  scrape.  But  the 
next  moment  another  was  down,  and  him  I  had  to  pick  up 
myself.  Then  I  saw  that  we  were  as  good  as  doomed. 
Against  the  stones  we  had  no  shield. 

The  men  saw  it  too,  and  cried  out,  beside  themselves 
with  rage.  We  were  as  rats,  set  in  a  pit  to  be  worried  — 
in  the  dark  with  a  hundred  foes  tearing  at  us.  And  the 
town  seemed  to  have  gone  mad  —  mad !  Above  the 
screams  and  wicked  laughter,  and  all  the  din  about  us,  I 
heard  the  great  church  bell  begin  to  ring,  and  hurling  its 
notes,  now  sharp,  now  dull,  down  upon  the  seething  streets, 
swell  and  swell  the  tumult  until  the  very  sky  seemed  one 
in  the  league  against  us ! 

Blind  with  fury  —  for  what  had  we  done  ?  —  we  turned 
on  the  mob  which  followed  us  and  hurled  it  back  —  back 


44  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

almost  to  the  High  Street.  But  that  way  was  no  exit  for 
us ;  the  crowd  stood  so  close  that  they  could  not  even  fly. 
Round  we  whirled  again,  wild  and  desperate  now,  and 
charged  down  the  alley  towards  the  West  Gate,  thinking 
possibly  to  win  through  and  out  by  that  way.  We  had 
almost  reached  the  locksmith's  —  then  another  man  fell. 
He  was  of  the  Waldgrave's  following,  and  his  comrade 
stooped  to  raise  him ;  but  only  to  fall  over  him,  wounded 
in  his  turn. 

What  happened  after  that  I  only  knew  in  part,  for  from 
that  moment  all  was  a  medley  of  random  blows  and  strug- 
glings  in  the  dark.  The  crowd  seeing  half  of  us  down,  and 
the  rest  entangled,  took  heart  of  grace  to  finish  us.  I 
remember  a  man  dashing  a  torch  in  my  face,  and  the  blow 
blinding  me.  Nevertheless  I  staggered  forward  to  close 
with  him.  Then  something  tripped  me  up,  something  or 
some  one  struck  me  from  behind  as  I  fell.  I  went  down 
like  an  ox,  and  for  me  the  fight  was  over. 

Drunken  Steve  and  two  of  the  Waldgrave's  men  fought 
across  me,  I  am  told,  for  a  minute  or  more.  Then  Steve 
fell  and  an  odd  thing  happened.  The  mob  took  fright 
at  nothing  —  took  fright  at  their  own  work,  and  coming 
suddenly  to  their  senses,  poured  pell-mell  out  of  the  alley 
faster  than  they  had  come  into  it.  The  two  strangers, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  way  or  the  town,  knocked  at  the 
nearest  door  and  were  taken  in,  and  sheltered  till  morning. 


CHAPTER  V. 

MARIE    WORT. 

THERE  never  was  one  of  my  forefathers  could  read,  or 
knew  so  much  as  a  horn-book  when  he  saw  it ;  and  there- 
fore I,  though  a  clerk,  have  a  brain  pan  that  will  stand  as 
much  as  any  scholar's  and  more  than  many  a  simple  man's. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  4$ 

Otherwise  the  blow  I  got  that  night  must  have  done  me 
some  great  mischief,  instead  of  merely  throwing  me  into 
a  swoon,  in  which  I  lay  until  the  morning  was  well 
advanced. 

When  I  came  to  myself  with  an  aching  head  and  a  dry 
mouth,  I  was  hard  put  to  it  for  a  time  to  think  what  had 
happened  to  me.  The  place  in  which  I  lay  was  dark,  with 
spots  of  red  lights  like  flaming  eyes  here  and  there.  An 
odour  of  fire  and  leather  and  iron  filled  my  nostrils.  A 
hoarse  soughing  as  of  a  winded  horse  came  and  went  regu- 
larly, with  a  dull  rumbling  and  creaking  that  seemed  to 
shake  the  place.  Dizzy  as  I  was,  I  rose  on  my  elbow  with 
an  effort,  and  looked  round.  But  my  eyes  swam,  I  could 
see  nothing  which  enlightened  me,  and  with  a  groan  I  fell 
back.  Then  I  found  that  I  was  lying  on  a  straw-bed,  with 
bandages  round  my  head,  and  gradually  the  events  of  the 
night  came  back  to  me.  My  mind  'grew  clearer.  Yet  it 
still  failed  to  tell  me  where  I  was,  or  whence  came  the 
hoarse  choking  sound,  like  the  sighing  of  some  giant  of  the 
Harz,  which  I  heard. 

At  last,  while  I  lay  wondering  and  fearing,  a  door 
opened  and  let  into  the  dark  place  a  flood  of  ruddy  light. 
Framed  in  this  light  a  young  girl  appeared,  standing  on  the 
threshold.  She  held  a  tray  in  her  hand,  and  paused  to 
close  the  door  behind  her.  The  bright  glow  which  shone 
round  her,  gave  her  a  strange  unearthly  air,  picking  out 
gold  in  her  black  locks  and  warming  her  pale  cheeks ;  but 
for  all  that  I  recognised  her,  and  never  was  1  more 
astonished.  She  was  no  other  than  the  daughter  of  the 
Papist  Wort  —  the  girl  to  rescue  whom  we  had  gone  down 
to  the  Red  Hart. 

I  could  not  restrain  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  and  the 
girl  started  and  stopped,  peering  into  the  corner  in  which 
I  lay. 

'  Master  Martin,'  she  said  in  a  low  tone,  '  was  that  you  ? ' 

I  had  never  heard  her  speak  before,  and  I  found,  perhaps 
by  reason  of  my  low  state,  and  a  softness  which  pain  in- 


46  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

duces  in  the  roughest,  a  peculiar  sweetness  in  her  voice.  1 
would  not  answer  for  a  moment.  I  made  her  speak  again. 

'Master  Martin,'  she  said,  advancing  timidly,  'are  you 
yourself  again  ? ' 

'  I  don't  know/  I  muttered.  In  very  fact  I  was  so  much 
puzzled  that  this  was  nearly  the  truth.  '  If  you  will  tell 
me  where  I  am,  I  may  be  able  to  say,'  I  added,  turning  my 
head  with  an  effort. 

'You  are  in  the  kitchen  behind  the  locksmith's  forge,' 
she  answered  plainly.  '  He  is  a  good  man,  and  you  are  in 
no  danger.  The  window  is  shuttered  to  keep  the  light 
from  your  eyes.' 

'  And  the  noise  I  hear  is  the  bellows  at  work  ? ' 

'Yes,'  she  answered,  coining  near.  'It  is  almost  noon. 
If  you  will  drink  this  broth  you  will  get  your  strength 
again.' 

I  seized  the  bowl  and  drank  greedily.  When  I  set  it 
down,  my  eyes  seemed  clearer  and  my  mind  stronger. 

'  You  escaped  ?  '  I  said.  The  more  I  grew  able  to  think, 
the  more  remarkable  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  girl  should 
be  here  —  here  in  the  same  house  in  which  I  lay. 

'  Through  the  window,'  she  answered,  in  a  faint  voice. 

As  she  spoke  she  turned  from  me,  and  I  knew  that  she 
was  thinking  of  her  father  and  would  fain  hide  her  face. 

'But  the  bars?'  I  said. 

'  I  am  very  small/  she  answered  in  the  same  low  tone. 

I  do  not  know  why,  but  perhaps  because  of  the  weakness 
and  softness  I  have  mentioned,  I  found  something  very 
pitiful  in  the  answer.  It  stirred  a  sudden  rush  of  anger  in 
my  heart.  I  pictured  this  helpless  girl  chased  through  the 
streets  by  the  howling  pack  of  cravens  we  had  encountered, 
and  for  a  few  seconds,  bruised  and  battered  as  I  was,  I  felt 
the  fighting  spirit  again.  I  half  rose,  then  turned  giddy, 
and  sank  back  again.  It  was  a  minute  or  more  before  I 
could  ask  another  question.  At  last  I  murmured  — 

'  You  have  not  told  me  how  you  came  here  ? ' 

'  I  was  coming  up  the  alley/  she  answered,  shuddering, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A,  47 

'  when  at  the  corner  by  this  house  I  met  men  coming  to 
meet  me.  I  fled  into  the  passage  to  escape  them,  and  find- 
ing no  outlet,  and  seeing  a  light  here,  I  knocked.  I  thought 
that  some  woman  might  pity  me  and  take  me  in.' 

'And  Peter  did?' 

'Yes/  she  answered  simply.  'May  Our  Lady  reward 
him.' 

'We  were  the  men  you  met,'  I  said  drowsily.  'I 
remember  now.  You  were  carrying  your  brother.' 

'  My  brother  ?  ' 

'Yes,  the  child.' 

'  Oh,  yes,'  she  answered,  in  rather  a  strange  fashion ; 
but  I  was  too  dull  to  do  more  than  notice  it.  '  The  child 
of  course.' 

I  could  ask  no  more,  for  my  head  was  already  splitting 
with  pain.  I  lay  back,  and  I  suppose  went  off  into  a  swoon 
again,  sleeping  all  that  day  and  until  the  morning  of  the 
next  was  far  advanced. 

Then  I  awoke  to  find  the  place  in  which  I  lay  changed 
from  a  cave  of  mystery  to  a  low-roofed  dingy  room  ;  the 
shutter  of  the  window  standing  half-open,  admitted  a  ray  of 
sunshine  and  a  breath  of  pure  air.  A  small  fire  burned  on 
the  hearth,  a  black  pot  bubbled  beside  it.  For  the  room 
itself,  a  litter  of  old  iron  stood  in  every  corner  ;  bunches  of 
keys  and  rows  of  rusty  locks  —  padlocks,  fetter-locks,  and 
door-locks  —  hung  on  all  the  walls.  One  or  two  chests, 
worm-eaten  and  rickety,  but  prized  by  their  present  posses- 
sor for  the  antiquity  of  their  fastenings,  stood  here  and 
there ;  with  a  great  open  press  full  of  gun-locks,  match- 
locks, wheel-locks,  spring-locks  and  the  like.  Half  a  dozen 
arquebuses  and  pistols  decorated  the  mantel-piece,  giving 
the  room  something  of  the  air  of  an  armoury. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  litter  sat  old  Peter  himself,  work- 
ing away,  with  a  pair  of  horn  glasses  on  his  forehead,  at  a 
small  lock  ;  which  seemed  to  be  giving  him  a  vast  amount  of 
trouble.  A  dozen  times  at  least  I  watched  him  fit  a  num- 
ber of  tiny  parts  together,  'only  to  scatter  them  again  in 


48  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

his  leather  apron,  and  begin  to  pare  one  or  other  of  them 
with  a  little  file.  At  length  he  laid  the  work  down,  as  if 
he  were  tired,  and  looking  up  found  my  eyes  fixed  upon 
him. 

He  nodded  cheerfully.  '  Good/  he  said.  'Now  you  look 
yourself,  Martin.  No  more  need  of  febrifuges.  Another 
night's  sleep,  and  you  may  go  abroad.' 

'  What  day  is  it  ? '  I  said,  striving  to  collect  my 
thoughts. 

'  Friday,'  he  answered,  looking  at  me  with  his  shrewd, 
pleasant  eyes.  He  was  an  old  man,  over  sixty,  a  widower 
with  two  young  children,  and  clever  at  his  trade.  I  never 
knew  a  better  man.  '  Wednesday  night  you  came  here,'  he 
continued,  showing  in  his  countenance  the  pleasure  it  gave 
him  to  see  me  recovering. 

1 1  must  go  to  the  castle,'  I  exclaimed,  rising  abruptly 
and  sitting  up.  '  Do  you  hear  ?  I  must  go.' 

'  I  do  not  see  the  necessity,'  he  answered,  looking  at  me 
coolly,  and  without  budging  an  inch. 

'My  lady  will  need  me.' 

'Not  at  all,'  he  answered,  in  the  same  quiet  tone. 
'  You  may  make  your  mind  easy  about  that.  The  Countess 
is  safe  and  well.  She  is  in  the  castle,  and  the  gates  are 
shut.' 

'But  she  has  not '     Then  I  stopped.     I   was  going 

to  say  too  much. 

'  She  has  not  half  a  dozen  men  with  her,  you  would  say,' 
he  replied.  '  Well,  no.  But  one  is  a  man,  it  seems.  The 
young  lord  has  turned  a  couple  of  cannon  on  the  town,  and 
all  our  valiant  scoundrels  are  shaking  in  their  shoes.' 

'  A  couple  of  cannon  !  But  there  are  no  cannon  in  the 
castle  ! ' 

'  You  are  mistaken,'  Peter  answered  drily.  He  had  a 
very  dry  way  with  him  at  times.  '  I  have  seen  the  muzzles 
of  them,  myself,  and  you  can  see  them,  if  you  please,  from 
the  attic  window.  One  is  trained  on  the  market-place,  and 
one  to  fire  down  the  High  Street.  To-morrow  morning  our 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  49 

Burgomaster  and  the  Minister  are  to  go  up  and  make  their 
peace.  And  I  can  tell  you  some  of  our  brisk  boys  feel  the 
rope  already  round  their  necks.' 

'  Is  this  true  ? '  I  said,  hardly  able  to  believe  the  tale. 

'  As  true  as  you  please/  he  answered.  '  If  you  will  take 
my  advice  you  will  lie  quietly  here  until  to-morrow  morn- 
ing, and  then  go  up  to  the  castle.  No  one  will  molest  you. 
The  townsfolk  will  be  only  too  glad  to  find  you  alive,  and 
that  they  have  so  much  the  less  to  pay  for.  I  should  not 
wonder  if  you  saved  half  a  dozen  necks,'  Peter  added 
regretfully.  '  For  I  hear  the  Countess  is  finely  mad  about 
you.' 

At  this  mention  of  my  lady's  regard  my  eyes  filled  so 
that  I  had  much  ado  to  hide  my  feelings.  Affecting  to  find 
the  light  too  strong  I  turned  my  back  on  Peter,  and  then  for 
the  first  time  became  aware  that  I  had  a  companion  in  mis- 
fortune. On  a  heap  of  straw  behind  me  lay  another  man, 
so  bandaged  about  the  head  that  I  could  see  nothing  of  his 
features. 

'  Hallo  ! '  I  exclaimed,  raising  myself  that  I  might  have 
a  better  view  of  him.  '  Who  is  this  ? ' 

'Your  man  Steve,'  Peter  said  briefly.  'But  for  him  and 
another,  Master  Martin,  I  do  not  think  that  you  would  be 
here.' 

'  You  do  well  to  remind  me,'  I  answered,  feeling  shame 
that  I  had  not  yet  thanked  him,  or  asked  how  I  came  to 
be  in  safety.  '  How  was  it  ?  ' 

'  Well,'  he  said,  '  it  began  with  the  girl.  The  doings  on 
Wednesday  night  were  not  much  to  my  mind,  as  you  may 
suppose,  and  I  shut  up  early  and  kept  myself  close.  About 
seven,  when  the  racket  had  not  yet  risen  to  its  height,  there 
came  a  knocking  at  my  door.  For  a  while  I  took  no  notice 
of  it,  but  presently,  as  it  continued,  I  went  to  listen,  and 
heard  such  a  sobbing  on  the  step  as  the  heart  of  man  could 
not  resist.  So  I  opened  and  found  the  Papist  girl  there 
with  a  child.  I  do  not  know,'  Peter  continued,  pushing 
forward  his  greasy  old  cap  and  rubbing  his  head,  '  that  I 

4 


50  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

should  have  opened  it  if  I  had  been  sure  who  it  was.  But 
as  the  door  was  open,  the  girl  had  to  come  in.' 

'  I  do  not  think  you  will  repent  it ! '  I  said. 

'I  don't  know  that  I  shall,'  he  answered  thoughtfully. 
•  However,  she  had  not  been  long  inside  and  the  bolts  shot 
on  us,  when  there  began  a  most  tremendous  skirmish  in  the 
lane,  which  lasted  off  and  on  for  half  an  hour.  Then  fol- 
lowed a  sudden  silence.  I  had  given  the  girl  some  food, 
and  told  her  she  might  sleep  with  the  children  upstairs,  and 
we  were  sitting  before  the  fire  while  she  cried  a  bit  —  she 
was  all  over  of  a  shake,  you  understand  —  when  on  a  sud- 
den she  stood  up,  and  listened. 

' "  What  is  it  ?  "  I  said. 

'  She  did  not  answer  for  a  while,  but  still  stood  listening, 
looking  now  at  me  and  now  towards  the  forge  in  a  queer 
eager  kind  of  way.  I  told  her  to  sit  down,  but  she  did  not 
seem  to  hear,  and  presently  she  cried,  "  There  is  some  one 
there ! " 

'"Well,"  said  I,  "they  will  stop  there  then.  I  don't 
open  that  door  again  to-night." 

'  She  looked  at  me  pitifully,  but  sat  down  for  all  the 
world  as  if  I  had  struck  her.  Not  for  long,  however.  In  a 
minute  she  was  up  again,  and  began  to  go  to  and  fro  be- 
tween the  kitchen  and  the  forge  door  like  nothing  else  but 
a  cat  looking  for  her  kittens.  "  Sit  down,  wench,"  I  said. 
But  this  time  she  took  no  heed,  and  at  last  the  sight  of  her 
going  up  and  down  like  a  dumb  creature  in  pain  was  too 
much  for  me,  and  I  got  up  and  undid  the  door.  She  was 
out  in  a  minute,  seeming  not  a  bit  afraid  for  herself,  and 
sure  enough,  there  were  you  and  Steve  lying  one  on  the 
top  of  the  other  on  the  step,  and  so  still  that  I  thought 
you  gone.  Heaven  only  knows  how  she  heard  you.' 

'  Peter,'  I  said  abruptly,  '  have  you  any  water  handy  ?' 

1  To  be  sure,'  he  replied,  starting  up.     '  Are  you  thirsty  ?  ' 

I  nodded,  and  he  went  to  get  it,  blaming  himself  for  his 
thoughtlessness.  He  need  not  have  reproached  himself, 
however.  I  was  not  thirsty ;  but  I  could  not  bear  that  he 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  51 

should  sit  and  look  at  me  at  that  moment.  The  story  he 
had  told  had  touched  me  —  and  I  was  still  weak ;  and  I 
could  not  answer  for  it,  I  should  not  burst  into  tears  like 
a  woman.  The  thought  of  this  girl's  persistence,  who  in 
everything  else  was  so  weak,  of  her  boldness  who  in  her 
own  defence  was  a  hare,  of  her  strange  instinct  on  our  be- 
half who  seemed  made  only  to  be  herself  protected  —  the 
thought  of  these  things  touched  me  to  the  heart  and  filled 
me  with  an  odd  mixture  of  pity  and  gratitude !  I  had  gone 
to  save  her,  and  she  had  saved  me !  I  had  gone  to  shield 
her  from  harm,  and  heaven  had  led  me  to  her  door,  not  in 
strength  but  in  weakness.  She  had  fled  from  me  who  came 
to  help  her ;  that  when  I  needed  help,  she  might  be  at  hand 
to  give  it ! 

'Where  is  she  ?  '  I  muttered,  when  he  came  back  and  I 
had  drunk. 

'  Who  ?  Marie  ?  '  he  asked. 

'  Yes,  if  that  is  her  name,'  T  said,  drinking  again. 

'  She  is  lying  down  upstairs,'  he  answered.  '  She  is  worn 
out,  poor  child.  Not  that  in  one  sense,  Master  Martin,'  he 
continued,  dropping  his  voice  and  nodding  with  a  mysteri- 
ous air,  'she  is  poor.  Though  you  might  think  it.' 

'  How  do  you  mean  ?  '  I  said,  raising  my  head  and  meet- 
ing his  eyes.  He  nodded. 

'  It  is  between  ourselves,'  he  said ;  '  but  I  am  afraid  there 
is  a  good  deal  in  what  our  rascals  here  say.  I  am  afraid, 
to  be  plain,  Master  Martin,  that  the  father  was  like  all 
his  kind :  plundered  many  an  honest  citizen,  and  roasted 
many  a  poor  farmer  before  his  own  fire.  It  is  the  way  of 
soldiers  in  that  army ;  and  God  help  the  country  they  march 
in,  be  it  friend's  or  foe's  ! ' 

'  Well  ?  '  I  said  impatiently ;  '  but  what  of  that  now  ? ' 
The  mention  of  these  things  fretted  me.  I  wanted  to  hear 
nothing  about  the  father.  '  The  man  is  dead,'  I  said. 

'  Ay,  he  is,'  Peter  answered  slowly  and  impressively. 
'  But  the  daughter  ?  She  has  got  a  necklace  round  her  neck 
now,  worth —  worth  I  dare  say  two  hundred  men  at  arms.' 


52  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  What,  ducats  ?  ' 

'  Ay,  ducats  !     Gold  ducats.     It  is  worth  all  that.; 

'  How  do  you  know  ? '  I  said,  staring  at  him.  '  I  have 
never  seen  such  a  thing  on  her.  And  I  have  seen  the  girl 
two  or  three  times.' 

'  Well,  I  will  tell  you,'  he  answered,  glancing  first  at  the 
window  and  then  at  Steve  to  be  sure  that  we  were  not  over- 
heard. '  I'll  tell  you.  When  we  had  carried  you  into  the 
house  the  other  night  she  took  off  her  kerchief,  to  tear  a 
piece  from  it  to  bind  up  your  head.  That  uncovered  the 
necklace.  She  was  quick  to  cover  it  up,  when  she  remem- 
bered herself,  but  not  quick  enough.' 

« Is  it  of  gold  ?  '  I  asked. 

He  nodded.  '  Fifteen  or  sixteen  links  I  should  say,  and 
each  as  big  as  a  small  walnut.  Carved  and  shaped  like  a 
walnut  too.' 

'  It  may  be  silver-gilt.' 

He  laughed.  '  I  am  a  smith,  though  only  a  locksmith,' 
he  said.  '  Trust  me  for  knowing  gold.  I  doubt  it  came 
from  Magdeburg;  I  doubt  it  did.  Magdeburg,  or  Halle, 
which  my  Lord  Tilly  ravaged  about  that  time.  And  if  so 
there  is  blood  upon  it.  It  will  bring  the  girl  no  luck, 
depend  upon  it.' 

'  If  we  talk  about  it,  I'll  be  sworn  it  will  not ! '  I 
answered  savagely.  '  There  are  plenty  here  who  would 
twist  her  neck  for  so  much  as  a  link  of  it.' 

'You  are  right,  Master  Martin,'  he  answered  meekly. 
'  Perhaps  I  should  not  have  mentioned  it ;  but  I  know  that 
you  are  safe.  And  after  all  the  girl  has  done  nothing.' 

That  was  true,  but  it  did  not  content  me.  I  wished  he 
had  not  seen  what  he  had,  or  that  he  had  not  told  me  the 
tale.  A  minute  before  I  had  been  able  to  think  of  the  girl 
with  pure  satisfaction ;  to  picture  with  a  pleasant  warmth 
about  my  heart  her  gentleness,  her  courage,  her  dark  mild 
beauty  that  belonged  as  much  to  childhood  as  womanhood, 
the  thought  for  others  that  made  her  flight  a  perpetual  sav- 
ing. But  this  spoiled  all.  The  mere  possession  of  this 


she  came  presently  to  me  with  a  bowl  of  broth  in  her 
hands  and  a  timid  smile  on  her  lips     .     .     . 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  53 

Lecklace,  much  more  the  use  of  it,  seemed  to  sully  her  in 
my  eyes,  to  taint  her  freshness,  to  steal  the  perfume  from 
her  youth. 

For  I  am  peasant  born,  of  those  on  whom  the  free-com- 
panions have  battened  from  the  beginning ;  and  spoil  won 
in  such  a  way  seemed  to  me  to  be  accursed.  Whether  I 
would  or  no,  horrid  tales  of  the  storming  of  Magdeburg 
came  into  my  mind :  tales  of  streets  awash  with  blood,  of 
churches  blocked  with  slain,  of  women  lying  dead  with  liv- 
ing babes  in  their  arms.  And  I  shuddered.  I  felt  the 
necklace  a  blot  on  all.  I  shrank  from  one,  who,  with  the 
face  of  a  saint,  wore  under  her  kerchief  gold  dyed  in  such 
a  fashion ! 

That  was  while  I  lay  alone,  tossing  from  side  to  side, 
and  troubling  myself  unreasonably  about  the  matter ;  since 
the  girl  was  nothing  to  me,  and  a  Papist.  But  when  she 
came  presently  to  me  with  a  bowl  of  broth  in  her  hands  and 
a  timid  smile  on  her  lips  —  a  smile  which  gave  the  lie  to 
the  sadness  of  her  eyes  and  the  red  rims  that  surrounded 
them  —  I  forgot  all,  necklace  and  creed.  I  took  the  bowl 
silently,  as  she  gave  it.  I  gave  it  back  with  only  one 
1  Thank  you, '  which  sounded  hoarse  and  rustic  in  my 
ears ;  but  I  suppose  my  eyes  were  more  eloquent,  for  she 
blushed  and  trembled.  And  in  the  evening  she  did  not 
come.  Instead  one  of  the  children  brought  my  supper,  and 
sitting  down  on  the  straw  beside  me,  twittered  of  Marie 
and  '  Go  '  and  other  things. 

<  Who  is  Go  ?  '  I  said. 

'  Go  is  Marie's  brother,'  the  child  answered,  open-eyed  at 
my  ignorance.  '  You  not  know  Go  ? ' 

'  It  is  a  strange  name,'  I  said,  striving  to  excuse  myself. 

'  He  is  a  strange  man,'  the  little  one  retorted,  pointing  to 
Steve.  '  He  does  not  speak.  Now  you  speak.  Marie  says  — ' 

'  What  does  Marie  say  ? '  I  asked. 

'  Marie  says  you  saved  his  life.' 

'  Well,  you  can  tell  her  it  was  the  other  way,'  I  exclaimed 
roughly. 


54  MY  LADY  ROTH  A, 

Twice  that  night  when  I  awoke  I  heard  a  light  footstep, 
and  turned  to  see  the  girl,  moving  to  and  fro  among  the 
rusty  locks  and  ancient  chests  in  attendance  on  Steve.  He 
mended  but  slowly.  She  did  not  come  near  me  at  these 
times,  and  after  a  glance  I  pretended  to  fall  asleep  that  I 
might  listen  unnoticed  to  her  movements,  and  she  be  more 
free  to  do  her  will.  But  whenever  I  heard  her  and  opened 
my  eyes  to  see  her  slender  figure  moving  in  that  dingy 
place,  I  felt  the  warmth  about  my  heart  again.  I  forgot 
the  gold  necklace ;  I  thought  no  more  of  the  rosary,  only 
of  the  girl.  For  what  is  there  which  so  well  becomes  a 
woman  as  tending  the  sick;  an  office  which  in  a  lover's  eyes 
should  set  off  his  mistress  beyond  velvet  and  Flanders 
lace. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

RUPERT    THE    GREAT. 

I  HAVE  known  a  man  very  strong  and  very  confident,  whom 
the  muzzle  of  a  loaded  pistol,  set  fairly  against  his  head,  has 
reduced  to  reason  marvellously.  So  it  fared  with  Heritz- 
burg  on  this  occasion.  My  lady's  cannon,  which  I  went  up 
to  the  roof  at  daybreak  to  see  —  and  did  see,  to  my  great 
astonishment,  trained  one  on  the  Market  Square,  and  one 
down  the  High  Street  —  formed  the  pistol,  under  the  cool- 
ing influence  of  which  the  town  had  so  far  come  to  its 
senses,  that  the  game  was  now  in  my  lady's  hands.  Peter 
assured  me  that  the  place  was  in  a  panic,  that  the  Countess 
could  hardly  ask  any  amends  that  would  not  be  made,  and 
that  as  a  preliminary  the  Burgomaster  and  Minister  were 
to  go  to  the  castle  before  noon  to  sue  for  pardon.  He  sug- 
gested that  I  and  the  girl  should  accompany  them. 

'  But  does  Hofman  know  that  we  are  here  ?  '  I  asked. 

'  Since  yesterday  morning,'  the  locksmith  answered,  with 
a  grin.  'And  no  one  more  pleased  to  hear  it !  If  he  had 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  55 

not  you  to  present  as  a  peace-offering,  I  doubt  he  would 
have  fled  the  town  before  he  would  have  gone  up.  As  it  is, 
they  had  fine  work  with  him  at  the  town-council  yesterday.' 

'  He  is  in  a  panic  ?     Serve  him  right ! '  I  said. 

'  I  am  told  that  his  cheeks  shake  like  jelly,'  Peter 
answered. 

'  Two  of  the  Waldgrave^s  men  are  dead,  you  know,  and 
some  say  that  the  Countess  will  hang  him  out  of  hand. 
But  you  will  go  up  with  him  ? ' 

'Yes/  I  said.     'I  see  no  objection.' 

Some  one  else  objected,  however.  When  the  plan  was 
broached  to  the  girl,  she  looked  troubled.  For  a  moment 
she  did  not  speak,  but  stood  before  us  silent  and  confused. 
Then  she  pointed  to  Steve. 

'  When  is  he  going,  if  you  please  ? '  she  asked,  in  a 
troubled  voice. 

'  He  must  go  in  a  litter  by  the  road,'  I  answered.  '  Peter 
here  will  see  to  it  this  morning.' 

'  Could  I  not  go  with  him  ? '  she  said. 

I  looked  at  Peter,  and  he  at  me.     He  nodded. 

'  T  see  no  reason  why  you  should  not,  if  you  prefer  it,'  I 
said.  '  Either  way  you  will  be  safe.' 

'I  should  prefer  it,'  she  muttered,  in  a  low  tone.  And 
then  she  went  out  to  get  something  for  Steve,  and  we  saw 
her  no  more. 

« Drunken  Steve  is  in  luck,'  Peter  said,  looking  after  her 
with  a  smile.  '  She  is  wonderfully  taken  with  him.  She  is 
a  —  she  is  a  good  girl,  Papist  or  no  Papist,'  he  added 
thoughtfully. 

I  am  not  sure  that  he  would  have  indorsed  that  later  in 
the  day.  At  the  last  moment,  when  I  was  about  to  leave 
the  house  to  go  up  to  the  castle  my  way,  and  Steve  and  his 
party  were  on  the  point  of  starting  by  the  West  Gate  and 
the  road,  something  happened  which  gave  both  of  us  a  kind 
of  shock,  though  neither  said  a  word  to  the  other.  Marie 
had  brought  down  the  little  boy,  a  brave-eyed,  fair-haired 
child  about  three  years  old,  and  she  was  standing  with  us  in 


56  MY  LADY  ROTH  A, 

the  forge  waiting  with  the  child  clinging  to  her  skirt,  when 
on  a  sudden  she  turned  to  Peter  and  began  to  thank  him. 
A  word  and  she  broke  down. 

'Pooh,  child!'  Peter  said  kindly,  patting  her  on  the 
shoulder.  'It  was  little  enough,  and  I  am  glad  I  did  it. 
No  thanks.' 

She  answered  between  her  sobs  that  it  was  beyond 
thanks,  and  called  on  Heaven  to  reward  him. 

'If  I  had  anything,'  she  continued,  looking  at  him 
timidly,  '  if  I  had  anything  I  could  give  you  to  prove  iny 
gratitude,  I  would  so  gladly  give  it.  But  I  am  alone,  and 
I  have  nothing  worth  your  acceptance.  I  have  nothing  in 
the  world,  unless,'  she  added  with  an  effort,  'you  would 
like  my  rosary.' 

'No,'  Peter  said  almost  roughly.  I  noticed  that  he 
avoided  my  eye.  '  I  do  not  want  it.  It  is  not  a  thing  I 
use.' 

She  said  she  had  nothing ;  and  we  knew  she  had  that 
chain  !  Yet  Heaven  knows  her  face  as  she  said  it  was  fair 
enough  to  convert  a  Beza!  She  said  she  had  nothing;  we 
knew  she  had.  Yet  if  ever  genuine  gratitude  and  thank- 
fulness seemed  to  shine  out  of  wet  human  eyes,  they  shone 
out  of  hers  then. 

What  I  could  not  stomach  was  the  ingratitude.  The 
fraud  was  too  gross,  too  gratuitous,  since  she  need  have 
offered  nothing.  I  turned  away  and  went  out  of  the  forge 
without  waiting  for  her  to  recover  herself.  I  dreaded  lest 
she  should  thank  me  in  the  same  way. 

I  knew  Peter,  and  knew  he  could  have  no  motive  for 
traducing  her.  He  was  old  enough  to  be  her  grandfather, 
and  a  quiet  good  man.  Therefore  I  was  sure  that  she  had 
the  chain,  three  or  four  links  of  which  should  be  worth  his 
shop  of  old  iron. 

But  besides  I  had  the  evidence  of  my  own  eyes.  There 
was  a  crinkle,  a  crease  in  her  kerchief,  for  which  the  pres- 
ence of  the  necklace  would  account;  it  was  such  a  crease  ns 
a  necklace  of  that  size  would  cause.  I  had  marked  it  when 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  57 

she  brought  the  child  into  the  room  in  her  arms.  The  boy's 
right  arm  had  been  round  her  neck,  and  I  had  seen  him 
relax  his  hold  of  her  hair  and  steady  himself  by  placing 
his  little  palm  on  that  wrinkle,  as  on  a  sure  and  certain 
and  familiar  stay.  So  I  knew  that  she  had  the  necklace, 
and  that  she  had  lied  about  it. 

But  after  all  it  was  nothing  to  me.  The  girl  was  a 
Papist,  a  Bavarian,  the  daughter  of  a  roistering  freebooting 
rider,  versed  in  camp  life.  If  with  a  fair  outside  she  proved 
to  be  at  heart  what  every  reasonable  man  would  expect  to 
find  her,  what  then  ?  I  had  no  need  to  trouble  my  head. 
I  had  affairs  enough  of  my  own  on  my  hands. 

Yet  the  affair  did  trouble  me.  The  false  innocence  of 
the  child's  face  haunted  and  perplexed  me,  and  would  not 
leave  me,  though  I  tried  to  think  of  other  things  and  had 
other  things  to  think  of.  I  was  to  meet  the  Burgomaster 
in  the  market-place,  and  go  thence  with  him,  and  I  had 
promised  myself  that  I  would  make  good  use  of  my  oppor- 
tunities ;  that  I  would  lose  no  point  of  the  town's  beha- 
viour, that  not  a  lowering  face  should  escape  me,  nor  a  quar- 
ter whence  danger  might  arise  in  the  future.  But  the 
girl's  eyes  made  havoc  of  all  my  resolutions,  and  I  had 
fairly  reached  the  market-place  before  I  remembered  what 
I  was  doing. 

There  indeed  a  sight,  which  in  a  moment  swept  the  cob- 
webs from  my  brain,  awaited  me.  The  square  was  full  of 
people,  not  closely  packed,  but  standing  in  loose  groups, 
and  all  talking  in  voices  so  low  as  to  produce  a  dull  sullen 
sound  more  striking  than  silence.  The  Mayor  and  four  or 
five  Councillors  occupied  the  steps  of  the  market-house. 
Raised  a  head  and  shoulders  above  the  throng,  and  glancing 
at  it  askance  from  time  to  time  with  scarcely  disguised 
apprehension,  they  wore  an  air  of  irresolution  it  was  impos- 
sible to  mistake.  Hofman  in  particular  looked  like  a  man 
with  the  rope  already  round  his  neck.  His  face  was  pale, 
his  fat  cheeks  hung  pendulous,  his  eyes  never  rested  on 
anything  for  more  than  a  second.  They  presently  lit  ou 


58  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

me,  and  then  if  farther  proof  of  the  state  of  his  niind  was 
needed,  I  found  it  in  the  relief  with  which  he  hailed  my 
appearance;  relief,  not  the  less  genuine  because  he  has- 
tened to  veil  it  from  the  jealous  eyes  that  from  every  part 
of  the  square  watched  his  proceedings. 

The  crowd  made  way  for  me  silently.  One  in  every  two, 
perhaps,  greeted  me,  and  some  who  did  not  greet  me,  smiled 
at  me  fatuously.  On  the  other  hand,  1  was  struck  by  the 
air  of  gloomy  expectation  which  prevailed.  I  discerned 
that  a  very  little  would  turn  it  into  desperation,  and  saw, 
or  thought  I  saw,  that  cannon,  or  no  cannon,  this  was  a 
case  for  delicate  and  skilful  handling.  The  town  was  panic- 
stricken,  partly  at  the  thought  of  what  it  had  done,  partly 
at  the  sight  of  the  danger  which  threatened  it.  But  panic  is 
a  double-edged  weapon.  It  takes  little  to  turn  it  into  fury. 

I  made  for  the  opening  into  the  High  Street,  and  the 
Burgomaster,  coming  down  the  steps,  passed  through  the 
crowd  and  met  me  there. 

'  This  is  a  bad  business,  Master  Martin,'  he  said,  facing 
me  with  an  odd  mixture  of  shamefacedness  and  bravado. 
'  We  must  do  our  best  to  patch  it  up.' 

'  You  had  your  warning,'  I  answered  coldly,  turning  with 
him  up  the  street,  every  window  and  doorway  in  which  had 
its  occupant.  Dietz  and  two  or  three  Councillors  followed 
^us,  the  Minister's  face  looking  flushed  and  angry,  and  as 
spiteful  as  a  cat's.  'Two  lives  have  been  lost,'  I  con- 
tinued, '  and  some  one  must  pay  for  them.' 

Hof man  mopped  his  face.  l  Surely,'  he  said,  '  the  three 
dead  on  our  side,  Master  Martin ' 

'  I  do  not  see  what  they  have  to  do  with  it,'  I  answered, 
maintaining  a  cold  and  uninterested  air,  which  was  torture 
to  him.  '  It  is  your  affair,  however,  not  mine.' 

'  But,  my  dear  friend  —  Martin,'  he  stammered,  plucking 
my  sleeve,  '  you  are  not  revengeful.  You  will  not  make  it 
worse  ?  You  won't  do  that  ? ' 

'  Worse  ? '  I  retorted.  '  It  is  bad  enough  already.  And 
I  am  afraid  you  will  find  it  so.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  59 

He  winced  and  looked  at  me  askance,  his  eyes  rolling  in  a 
fever  of  apprehension.  For  a  moment  I  really  thought  that 
he  would  turn  and  go  back.  But  the  crowd  was  behind ;  he 
was  on  the  horns  of  a  dilemma,  and  with  a  groan  of  misery 
he  moved  on,  looking  from  time  to  time  at  the  terrace  above 
us.  '  Those  cursed  cannon/  I  heard  him  mutter,  as  he 
wiped  his  brow. 

*  Ay,'  I  said,  sharply,  '  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  cannon 
you  would  have  seen  our  throats  cut  before  you  would  have 
moved.  I  quite  understand  that.  But  you  see  it  is  our 
turn  now.' 

We  were  on  the  steps  and  he  did  not  answer.  I  looked 
up,  expecting  to  see  the  wall  by  the  wicket-gate  well- 
manned  ;  but  I  was  mistaken.  No  row  of  faces  looked  down 
from  it.  All  was  silent.  A  single  man,  on  guard  at  the 
wicket,  alone  appeared.  He  bade  us  stand,  and  passed  the 
word  to  another.  He  in  his  turn  disappeared  and  pre- 
sently old  Jacob,  with  a  half-pike  on  his  shoulder,  and  a 
couple  of  men  at  his  back,  came  stiffly  out  to  receive  us 
with  all  the  formality  and  discipline  of  a  garrison  in  time  of 
war.  He  acknowledged  my  presence  by  a  wink,  but  saluted 
my  companions  in  the  coldest  manner  possible,  proceeding 
at  once  to  march  us  without  a  word  spoken  to  the  door  of 
the  house,  where  we  were  again  bidden  to  stand. 

All  this  filled  me  with  satisfaction.  I  knew  what  effect 
it  would  have  on  Hofman,  and  how  it  would  send  his  soul 
into  his  shoes.  At  the  same  time  my  satisfaction  was  not 
unmixed.  I  felt  a  degree  of  strangeness  myself.  The 
place  seemed  changed,  the  men,  moving  stiffly,  had  an 
unfamiliar  air.  I  missed  the  respect  I  had  enjoyed  in  the 
house.  For  the  moment  I  was  nobody  ;  a  prisoner,  an  alien 
person  admitted  grudgingly,  and  on  sufferance. 

I  comforted  myself  with  the  reflection  that  all  would  be 
well  when  I  reached  the  presence.  But  I  was  mistaken.  I 
saw  indeed  my  lady's  colour  come  and  go  when  I  entered, 
and  her  eyes  fell.  But  she  kept  her  seat,  she  looked  no 
more  at  me  than  at  my  companions,  she  uttered  no  greeting 


60  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

or  word  of  acknowledgment.  It  was  the  Waldgrave  who 
spoke  —  the  Waldgrave  who  acted.  In  a  second  there 
came  over  me  a  bitter  feeling  that  all  was  changed ;  that 
the  old  state  of  things  at  Heritzburg  was  past,  and  a  rule  to 
which  I  was  a  stranger  set  in  its  place. 

Three  or  four  of  my  lady's  women  were  grouped  behind 
her,  while  Franz  and  Ernst  stood  like  statues  at  the  farther 
door.  Fraulein  Anna  sat  on  a  stool  in  the  window-bay, 
and  my  lady's  own  presence  was,  as  at  all  times,  marked 
by  a  stateliness  and  dignity  which  seemed  to  render 
it  impossible  that  she  should  pass  for  second  in  any  com- 
pany. But  for  all  that  the  Waldgrave,  standing  up  straight 
and  tall  behind  her,  with  his  comeliness,  his  youth,  and  his 
manhood  and  the  red  light  from  the  coat  of  arms  in  the 
stained  window  just  touching  his  fair  hair,  did  seem  to  me 
to  efface  her.  It  was  he  who  stood  there  to  pardon  or 
punish,  praise  or  blame,  and  not  my  lady.  And  I  resented 
it. 

Not  that  his  first  words  to  me  were  not  words  of 
kindness. 

'Ha,  Martin,'  he  cried,  his  face  lighting  up,  'I  hear  you 
fought  like  an  ancient  Trojan,  and  broke  as  many  heads  as 
Hector.  And  that  your  own  proved  too  hard  for  them ! 
Welcome  back.  In  a  moment  I  may  want  a  word  with 
you ;  but  you  must  wait.' 

I  stood  aside,  obeying  his  gesture ;  and  he  apologised, 
but  with  a  very  stern  aspect,  to  Hofman  and  his  compan- 
ions for  addressing  me  first. 

1  The  Countess  Rotha,  however,  Master  Burgomaster,'  he 
continued,  with  grim  suavity,  '  much  as  she  desires  to  treat 
your  office  with  respect,  cannot  but  discern  between  the 
innocent  and  the  guilty.' 

1  The  guilty,  my  lord? '  Hofman  cried,  in  such  a  hurry 
and  trepidation,  I  could  have  laughed.  '  I  trust  that  there 
are  none  here.' 

'At  any  rate  you  represent  them/  the  Waldgrave 
retorted. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  61 

(  I,  my  lord  ? '  The  Mayor's  hair  almost  stood  on 
end  at  the  thought. 

'  Ay,  you ;  or  why  are  you  here  ? '  the  Waldgrave 
answered.  '  I  understood  that  you  came  to  offer  such 
amends  as  the  town  can  make,  and  your  lady  accept.' 

Poor  Hofman's  jaw  fell  at  this  statement  of  his  position, 
and  he  stood  the  picture  of  dismay  and  misery.  The 
Waldgrave's  peremptory  manner,  which  shook  him  out  of 
the  rut  of  his  slow  wits,  and  upset  his  balanced  periods, 
left  him  prostrate  without  a  word  to  say.  He  gasped  and 
remained  silent.  He  was  one  of  those  people  whose  dull 
self-importance  is  always  thrusting  them  into  positions 
which  they  are  not  intended  to  fill. 

1  Well  ?  '  the  Waldgrave  said,  after  a  pause,  <  as  you  seem 
to  have  nothing  to  say,  and  judgment  must  ultimately  come 
from  your  lady,  I  will  proceed  at  once  to  declare  it.  And 
firstly,  it  is  her  will,  Master  Burgomaster,  that  within  forty- 
eight  hours  you  present  to  her  on  behalf  of  the  town  a 
humble  petition  and  apology,  acknowledging  your  fault; 
and  that  the  same  be  entered  on  the  town  records.' 

'It  shall  be  done,'  Master  Hofman  cried.  His  eagerness 
to  assent  was  laughable. 

'  Secondly,  that  you  pay  a  fine  of  a  hundred  gold  ducats 
for  the  benefit  of  the  children  of  the  men  wantonly  killed 
in  the  riot.' 

'  It  shall  be  done,'  Master  Hofman  said,  —  but  this  time 
not  so  readily. 

'And  lastly,'  the  Waldgrave  continued  in  a  very  clear 
voice, '  that  you  deliver  up  for  execution  two  in  the  market- 
place, one  at  the  foot  of  the  castle  steps,  and  one  at  the  West 
Gate,  for  a  warning  to  all  who  may  be  disposed  to  offend 
again — four  of  the  principal  offenders  in  the  late  riot.' 

'  My  lord ! '  the  Mayor  cried,  aghast. 

'  My  lord,  if  you  please,'  the  Waldgrave  answered  coldly. 
'  But  do  you  consent  ?  ' 

Hofman  looked  blanker  than  ever.  '  Four  ? '  he 
stammered. 


62  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

1  Precisely  ;  four,'  the  young  lord  answered. 

'  But  who  ?     I  do  not  know  them/  the  Mayor  faltered. 

The  Wald grave  shook  his  head  gently.  '  That  is  your 
concern,  Burgomaster,'  he  said,  with  a  smile.  *  In  forty- 
eight  hours  much  may  be  done.' 

Hofman's  hair  stood  fairly  on  end.  Craven  as  he  was, 
the  thought  of  the  crowd  in  the  market-place,  the  thought 
of  the  reception  he  would  have,  if  he  assented  to  such 
terms,  gave  him  courage. 

*  I  will  consult  with  my  colleagues,'  he  said  with  a  great 
gulp. 

'  I  am  afraid  that  you  will  not  have  the  opportunity,'  the 
Waldgrave  rejoined,  in  a  peculiarly  suave  tone.  '  Until  the 
four  are  given  up  to  us,  we  prefer  to  take  care  of  you  and 
the  learned  Minister.  I  see  that  you  have  brought  two  or 
three  friends  with  you  ;  they  will  serve  to  convey  what  has 
passed  to  the  town.  And  I  doubt  not  that  within  a  few 
hours  we  shall  be  able  to  release  you.' 

Master  Hofman  fell  a  trembling. 

'My  lord,'  he  cried,  between  tears  and  rage,  'my 
privileges  ! ' 

'Master  Mayor,'  the  Waldgrave  answered,  with  a  sudden 
snap  and  snarl,  which  showed  his  strong  white  teeth,  'my 
dead  servants.' 

After  that  there  was  no  more  to  be  said.  The  Burgo- 
master shrank  back  with  a  white  face,  and  though  Dietz, 
with  rage  burning  in  his  sallow  cheeks,  cried  '  woe  to  him ' 
who  separated  the  shepherd  from  the  sheep,  and  would 
have  added  half-a-dozen  like  texts,  old  Jacob  cut  him  short 
by  dropping  his  halberd  on  his  toes  and  promptly  removed 
him  and  the  quavering  Burgomaster  to  strong  quarters 
in  the  tower.  Meanwhile  the  other  members  of  the  party 
were  marched  nothing  loth  to  the  steps,  and  despatched 
through  the  gate  with  the  same  formality  which  had  sur- 
prised us  on  our  arrival. 

Then  for  a  few  moments  I  was  happy,  in  spite  of  doubts 
and  forebodings ;  for  the  moment  the  room  was  cleared  of 


MY  LADY  ROT  HA.  63 

servants,  my  lady  came  down  from  her  place,  and  with 
tears  in  her  eyes,  laid  her  hand  on  my  rough  shoulder,  and 
thanked  me,  saying  such  things  to  me,  and  so  sweetly,  that 
though  many  a  silken  fool  has  laughed  at  me,  as  a  clown 
knowing  no  knee  service,  I  knelt  there  and  then  before  her, 
and  rose  tenfold  more  her  servant  than  before.  For  of 
this  I  am  sure,  that  if  the  great  knew  their  power,  we 
should  hear  no  more  of  peasants'  wars  and  Rainbow  ban- 
ners. A  smile  buys  for  them  what  gold  will  not  for 
another.  A  word  from  their  lips  stands  guerdon  for  a 
life,  and  a  look  for  the  service  of  the  heart. 

However,  few  die  of  happiness,  and  almost  before  I  was 
off  my  knees  I  found  a  little  bitter  in  the  cup. 

'Well,  well,'  the  Waldgrave  said,  with  a  comical  laugh, 
and  I  saw  my  lady  blush,  'these  are  fine  doings.  But  next 
time  you  go  to  battle,  Martin,  remember,  more  haste  less 
speed.  Where  would  you  have  been  now,  I  should  like  to 
know,  without  my  cannon  ? ' 

'Perhaps  still  in  Peter's  forge,'  I  answered  bluntly. 
'But  that  puzzles  me  less,  my  lord,'  I  continued,  'than 
where  you  found  your  cannon.' 

He  laughed  in  high  good  humour.  '  So  you  are  bit,  are 
you  ? '  he  said.  '  I  warrant  you  thought  we  could  do 
nothing  without  you.  But  the  cannon,  where  do  you  think 
we  did  find  them?  You  should  know  your  own  house.' 

'I  know  of  none  here,'  I  answered  slowly,  'except  the 
old  cracked  pieces  the  Landgrave  Philip  left.' 

'  Well  ?  '  he  retorted,  smiling.  '  And  what  if  these  be 
they  ? ' 

'  But  they  are  cracked  and  foundered ! '  I  cried  warmly. 
'You  could  no  more  fire  powder  in  them,  my  lord,  than  in 
the  Countess's  comfit-box  ! ' 

'But  if  you  do  not  want  to  burn  powder?'  he  replied. 
'  Tf  the  sight  of  the  muzzles  be  enough  ?  What  then, 
Master  Wiseacre  ? ' 

'  Why,  then,  my  lord,'  I  answered,  drily,  after  a  pause  of 
astonishment, '  I  think  that  the  game  is  a  risky  one.' 


64  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

( Chut,  you  are  jealous  ! '  he  said,  laughing. 

'  And  should  be  played  very  moderately.' 

'Chut,'  he  said  again,  'you  are  jealous!  Is  he  not, 
Rotha  ?  He  is  jealous.' 

My  lady  looked  at  me  laughing. 

'  I  think  he  is  a  little,'  she  said.  '  You  must  acknowl- 
edge, Martin,'  she  continued,  pleasantly,  'that  the  Wald- 
grave  has  managed  very  well  ? ' 

I  must  have  assented,  however  loth ;  but  he  saved  me  the 
trouble.  He  did  not  want  to  hear  my  opinion. 

'Very  well  ? '  he  exclaimed,  with  a  laugh  of  pleasure  ;  '  I 
should  think  I  have.  Why,  I  have  so  brightened  up  your 
old  serving-men  that  they  make  quite  a  tolerable  garrison 
—  mount  guard,  relieve,  give  the  word  and  all,  like  so  many 
Swedes.  Oh,  I  can  tell  you  a  little  briskness  and  a  few 
new  fashions  do  no  harm.  But  now,'  he  continued,  com- 
placently, '  since  you  are  so  clever,  my  friend,  where  is  the 
risk  ? ' 

'  If  it  becomes  known  in  the  town,'  I  said,  '  that  the  can- 
non are  dummies ' 

'  It  is  not  known,'  he  answered  peremptorily. 

'Still,  under  the  circumstances,'  I  persisted,  'I  should 
with  submission  have  imposed  terms  less  stringent.  Espe- 
cially I  should  not  have  detained  Master  Hofman,  my  lord, 
who  is  a  timid  man,  making  for  peace.  He  has  influence. 
Shut  up  here  he  cannot  use  it.' 

'But  our  terms  will  show  that  we  are  not  afraid,'  the 
Waldgrave  answered.  '  And  that  is  everything.' 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders. 

'  Chut ! '  he  said,  half  in  annoyance  and  half  in  good 
humour.  'Depend  upon  it,  there  is  nothing  like  putting 
a  bold  face  on  things.  That  is  my  policy.  But  the  truth 
is  you  are  jealous,  my  friend  —  jealous  of  my  excellent 
generalship ;  but  for  which  I  verily  believe  you  would  be 
decorating  a  gallows  in  the  market-place  at  this  moment. 
Come,  fair  cousin,'  he  added,  gleefully,  turning  from  me 
and  snatching  up  my  lady's  gloves  and  handing  them  to 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  65 

her,  '  let  us  out.  Let  us  go  and  look  down  at  our  conquest, 
and  leave  this  green-eyed  fellow  to  rub  his  bruises.' 

My  lady  looked  at  me  kindly  and  laughed.  Still  she 
assented,  and  my  chance  was  gone.  It  was  my  place  now 
to  hold  the  door  with  lowered  head,  not  to  argue.  And  I 
did  so.  After  all  I  had  been  well  treated ;  I  had  spoken 
boldly  and  been  heard. 

For  a  time  after  the  sound  of  their  voices  had  died 
away  on  the  stairs,  I  stood  still.  The  room  was  quiet  and 
I  felt  blank  and  purposeless.  In  the  first  moments  of 
return  every-day  duties  had  an  air  of  dulness  and  staleness. 
I  thought  of  one  after  another,  but  had  not  yet  brought 
myself  to  the  point  of  moving,  when  a  hand,  raising  the 
latch  of  one  of  the  inner  doors,  effectually  roused  me.  I 
turned  and  saw  Fraulein  Anna  gliding  in.  She  did  not 
speak  at  once,  but  came  towards  me  as  she  had  a  way  of 
coming  —  close  up  before  she  spoke.  It  had  more  than 
once  disturbed  me.  It  did  so  now. 

*  Well,  Master  Martin,'  she  said  at  last,  in  her  mild  spite- 
ful tone,  '  I  hope  you  are  satisfied  with  your  work ;  I  hope 
my  lord's  service  may  suit  you  as  well  as  my  lady's.' 


CHAPTER  VIL 

THE    PRIDE   OF    YOUTH. 

BUT  I  am  not  going  to  relate  the  talk  we  had  on  that,  Frau- 
lein Anna  and  I.  I  learned  one  thing,  and  one  only,  and 
that  I  can  put  very  shortly.  I  saw  my  face  as  it  were  in  a 
glass,  and  I  was  not  pleased  with  the  reflection.  Listening 
to  Fraulein  Anna's  biting  hints  and  sidelong  speeches  —  she 
did  not  spare  them  —  I  recognized  that  I  was  jealous ;  that 
the  ascendency  the  young  lord  had  gained  with  my  lady 
and  in  the  castle  did  not  please  me ;  and  that  if  I  would 

B 


66  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

not  make  a  fool  of  myself  and  step  out. of  my  place,  I  must 
take  myself  roundly  to  task.  Much  might  be  forgiven  to 
Fraulein  Anna,  who  saw  the  quiet  realm  wherein  she 
reigned  invaded,  and  the  friend  she  had  gained  won  from 
her  in  an  hour.  But  her  case  differed  from  mine.  I  was  a 
servant,  and  woe  to  me  if  I  forgot  my  place ! 

Perhaps,  also,  it  gave  me  pleasure  to  find  my  uneasiness 
shared.  At  any  rate,  I  felt  better  afterwards,  and  a  message 
from  my  lady,  bidding  me  rest  my  head  and  do  nothing  for 
the  day,  comforted  me  still  further.  I  went  out,  and  find- 
ing the  terrace  quiet,  and  deserted  by  all  except  the  sentry 
at  the  wicket,  I  sat  down  on  one  of  the  stone  seats  which 
overlook  the  town  and  there  began  to  think.  The  sun  was 
behind  a  cloud  and  the  air  was  fresh  and  cool,  and  I  pres- 
ently fell  asleep  with  my  head  on  my  arms. 

While  I  slept  my  lady  and  the  Waldgrave  came  and 
began  to  walk  up  and  down  the  terrace,  and  gradually  little 
bits  of  their  talk  slid  into  my  dreams,  until  I  found  myself 
listening  to  them  between  sleeping  and  waking.  The 
Waldgrave  was  doing  most  of  the  speaking,  in  the  boyish, 
confident  tone  which  became  him  so  well.  Presently  I 
heard  him  say  — 

'  The  whole  art  of  war  is  changed,  fair  cousin.  I  had  it 
from  one  who  knows,  Bernard  of  Weimar.  The  heavy 
battalions,  the  great  masses,  the  slow  movements,  the 
system  invented  by  the  great  Captain  of  Cordova  are 
gone.  Breitenfeld  was  their  death-blow.' 

'Yet  my  uncle  was  a  great  commander/  my  lady  said, 
with  a  little  touch  of  impatience  in  her  tone. 

'  Of  the  old  school.' 

I  heard  her  laugh.  'You  speak  as  if  you  had  been  a 
soldier  for  a  score  of  years,  Rupert,'  she  said. 

'Age  is  not  experience,'  he  answered  hardily.  'That  is 
the  mistake.  How  old  was  Alexander  when  he  conquered 
Egypt?  Twenty-three,  cousin,  and  I  am  twenty-three. 
How  old  was  the  Emperor  Augustus  when  he  became 
Consul  of  Rome?  Nineteen.  How  old  was  Henry  of 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  67 

England  when  he  conquered  France  ?  Twenty-seven. 
And  Charles  the  Fifth  at  Pavia  ?  Twenty-five.' 

'Sceptres  are  easy  leading-staves,'  my  lady  answered 
deftly.  '  All  these  were  kings,  or  the  like.' 

'  Then  take  Don  John  at  Lepauto.  He,  too,  was  twenty- 
five/ 

'A  king's  son,'  my  lady  replied  quickly. 

'Then  I  will  give  you  one  to  whom  you  can  make  no 
objection,'  ne  answered  in  a  tone  of  triumph :  '  Gaston  de 
Foix,  the  Thunderbolt  of  Italy.  He  who  conquered  at 
Como,  at  Milan,  at  Kavenna.  How  old  was  he  when  he 
died,  leaving  a  name  never  to  be  forgotten  in  arms  ? 
Twenty-three,  fair  cousin.  And  I  am  twenty-three.' 

( But  then  you  are  not  Gaston  de  Foix,'  my  lady  retorted, 
laughter  bubbling  to  her  lips ;  '  nor  a  king's  nephew.' 

'  But  I  may  be.' 

'  What  ?  A  king's  nephew  ? '  the  Countess  answered, 
laughing  outright.  '  Pray  where  is  the  king's  niece  ? ' 

'  King's  niece  ? '  he  exclaimed  reproachfully  —  and  I 
doubt  not  with  a  kind  look  at  her,  and  a  movement  as  if 
he  would  have  paid  her  for  her  sauciness.  '  You  know  I 
want  no  king's  niece.  There  is  no  king's  niece  in  the 
world  so  sweet  to  my  taste,  so  fair,  or  so  gracious  as 
the  cousin  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  serve  during 
the  last  few  days;  and  that  I  will  maintain  against  the 
world.' 

'So  here  is  my  glove!'  my  lady  answered  gaily,  finish- 
ing the  speech  for  him.  'Very  prettily  said,  Rupert.  I 
make  you  a  thousand  curtsies.  But  a  truce  to  compliments. 
Tell  me  more.' 

He  needed  no  second  bidding ;  though  I  think  that  she 
would  have  listened  without  displeasure  to  another  pretty 
speech,  and  an  older  man  would  certainly  have  made  one. 
But  he  was  full  of  the  future  and  fame  —  and  himself.  He 
had  never  had  such  a  listener  before,  and  he  poured  forth 
his  hopes  and  aspirations,  as  he  strode  up  and  down,  so 
gallant  of  figure  and  frank  of  face  that  it  was  impossible 


68  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

not  to  feel  with  him.  He  was  going  to  do  this ;  he  was 
going  to  do  that.  He  would  make  the  name  of  Rupert  of 
Weimar  stand  with  that  of  Bernard.  Never  was  such  a 
time  for  enterprise.  Gustavus  Adolphus,  with  Sweden  and 
North  Germany  at  his  back,  was  at  Munich ;  Bavaria, 
Franconia,  and  the  Rhine  Bishoprics  were  at  his  feet. 
The  hereditary  dominions  of  the  Empire,  Austria,  Silesia, 
Moravia,  with  Bohemia,  Hungary,  and  the  Tyrol,  must 
soon  be  his;  their  conquest  was  certain.  Then  would 
come  the  division  of  the  spoil.  The  House  of  Weimar, 
which  had  suffered  more  in  the  Protestant  cause  than  any 
other  princely  house  of  Germany,  which  had  resigned  for 
its  sake  the  Electoral  throne  and  the  rights  of  primogeni- 
ture, must  stand  foremost  for  reward. 

'And  which  kingdom  shall  you  choose  ? '  my  lady  asked, 
with  a  twinkle  in  her  eye  which  belied  her  gravity. 
'  Bohemia  or  Hungary  ?  or  Bavaria  ?  Munich  I  am  told  is 
a  pleasant  capital.' 

'  You  are  laughing  at  me  ! '  he  said,  a  little  hurt. 

'  Forgive  me,'  she  said,  changing  her  tone  so  prettily  that 
he  was  appeased  on  the  instant.  '  But,  speaking  soberly, 
are  you  not  curing  the  skin  before  the  bear  is  dead  ?  The 
great  Wallenstein  is  said  to  be  collecting  an  army  in 
Bohemia,  and  if  the  latest  rumour  is  to  be  believed,  he  has 
already  driven  out  the  Saxons  and  retaken  Prague.  The 
tide  of  conquest  seems  already  to  be  turning.' 

'  We  shall  see,'  the  Waldgrave  answered. 

'Very  well,'  my  lady  replied.  'But,  besides,  is  there 
not  a  proverb  about  the  lion's  share  ?  Will  the  Lion  of  the 
North  forego  his  ?  ' 

'We  shall  make  him,'  the  young  lord  answered.  'He 
goes  as  far  as  we  wish  and  no  farther.  Without  German 
allies  he  could  not  maintain  his  footing  for  a  month.' 

'  Germany  should  blush  to  need  his  help,'  my  lady  said 
warmly. 

'Never  mind.  Better  times  are  coming,'  he  answered. 
'And  soon,  I  hope.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  69 

With  that  they  moved  out  of  hearing,  crossing  to  the 
other  side  of  the  court  and  beginning  to  walk  up  and  down 
there ;  and  I  heard  no  more.  But  I  had  heard  enough  to 
enable  me  to  arrive  at  two  or  three  conclusions.  For  one 
thing,  I  felt  jealous  no  longer.  My  lady's  tone  when  she 
spoke  to  the  Waldgrave  convinced  me  that  whatever  the 
future  might  bring  forth,  she  regarded  him  in  the  present 
with  liking,  and  some  pride  perhaps,  but  with  no  love 
worthy  of  the  name.  A  woman,  she  took  pleasure  in  his 
handsome  looks  and  gallant  bearing ;  she  was  fond  of  lis- 
tening to  his  aspirations.  But  the  former  pleased  her  eye 
without  touching  her  heart,  and  the  latter  never  for  a 
moment  carried  her  away. 

I  was  glad  to  be  sure  of  this,  because  I  discerned  some- 
thing lacking  on  his  side  also.  It  was  'Rotha,'  'sweet 
cousin,'  '  fair  cousin,'  too  soon  with  him.  He  felt  no  rever- 
ence, suffered  no  pangs,  trembled  under  no  misgivings,  sank 
under  no  sense  of  un worthiness.  He  thought  that  all  was 
to  be  had  for  pleasant  words  and  the  asking.  Heritzburg 
seemed  a  rustic  place  to  him,  and  my  lady's  life  so  dull  and 
uneventful,  my  lady  herself  so  little  of  a  goddess,  that  he 
deemed  himself  above  all  risk  of  refusal.  A  little  difficulty, 
a  little  doubt,  the  appearance  of  a  rival,  might  awaken  real 
love.  But  it  was  not  in  him  now.  He  felt  only  a  passing 
fancy,  the  light  offspring  of  propinquity  and  youth. 

But  how,  it  may  be  asked,  was  I  so  wise  that,  from  a  few 
sentences  heard  between  sleeping  and  waking,  I  could 
gather  all  this,  and  draw  as  many  inferences  from  a  laugh 
as  Fraulein  Anna  Max  from  a  page  of  crabbed  Latin  ?  The 
question  put  to  me  then,  as  I  sat  day-dreaming  over  Heritz- 
burg, might  have  posed  me.  I  am  clear  enough  about  it 
now.  I  could  answer  it  if  I  chose.  But  a  nod  is  as  good 
as  a  wink  to  a  blind  horse,  and  a  horse  with  eyes  needs 
neither  one  nor  the  other. 

Presently  I  saw  Fraulein  Anna  come  out  and  go  sliding 
along  one  side  of  the  court  to  gain  another  door.  She  had 
a  great  book  under  her  arm  and  blinked  like  an  owl  in  the 


70  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

sunshine,  and  would  have  run  against  my  lady  if  the  Wald- 
grave  had  not  called  out  good-humouredly.  She  shot  away 
at  that  with  a  show  of  excessive  haste,  and  was  in  the  act 
of  disappearing  like  a  near-sighted  rabbit,  when  my  lady 
called  to  her  pleasantly  to  come  back. 

She  came  slowly,  hugging  the  great  book,  and  with  her 
lips  pursed  tightly.  I  fancy  she  had  been  sitting  at  a 
window  watching  my  lady  and  her  companion,  and  that 
every  laugh  which  rose  to  her  ears,  every  merry  word, 
nay  the  very  sunshine  in  which  they  walked,  while  she  sat 
in  the  dull  room  with  her  unread  book  before  her,  wounded 
her. 

'What  have  you  been  doing,  Anna?'  my  lady  asked 
kindly. 

'I  have  been  reading  the  "Praise  of  Folly,"'  Fraulein 
Max  answered  primly.  '  I  am  going  to  my  Voetius  now.' 

1  It  is  such  a  fine  day,'  my  lady  pleaded. 

'I  never  miss  my  Voetius,'  Fraulein  answered. 

The  Waldgrave  looked  at  her  quizzically,  with  scarcely 
veiled  contempt.  '  Voetius  ? '  he  said.  '  What  is  that  ? 
You  excite  my  curiosity.' 

Perhaps  it  was  the  contrast  between  them,  between  his 
strength  and  comeliness  and  her  weak  figure  and  pale 
frowning  face,  that  moved  me ;  but  I  know  that  as  he  said 
that,  I  felt  a  sudden  pity  for  her.  And  she,  I  think,  for 
herself.  She  reddened  and  looked  down  and  seemed  to  go 
smaller.  Scholarship  is  a  fine  thing ;  I  have  heard  Frau- 
lein Anna  herself  say  that  knowledge  is  power.  But  I 
never  yet  saw  a  bookworm  that  did  not  pale  his  fires  before 
a  soldier  of  fortune,  nor  a  scholar  that  did  not  follow  the 
courtier  and  the  ruffler  with  eyes  of  envy. 

Perhaps  my  lady  felt  as  I  did,  for  she  came  to  the 
rescue.  '  You  are  too  bad,'  she  said.  '  Anna  is  my  friend, 
and  I  will  not  have  her  teased.  As  for  Voetius,  he  is  a 
writer  of  learning,  and  you  would  know  more  about  many 
things,  if  you  could  read  his  works,  sir.' 

( Do  you  read  them  ? '  he  asked. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  71 

'I  do!'  she  answered. 

1  Good  heavens ! '  he  exclaimed,  staring  at  her  freely  and 
affecting  to  be  astonished.  'Well,  all  I  can  say  is  that  you 
do  not  look  like  it ! ' 

My  lady  fired  up  at  that.  I  think  she  felt  for  her  friend. 
'  I  do  not  thank  you/  she  said  sharply.  '  A  truce  to 
such  compliments,  if  you  please.  Anna/  she  continued, 
'  have  you  been  to  see  this  poor  girl  from  the  town  ? ' 

'No/  Fraulein  Max  answered. 

'  She  has  come,  has  she  not  ? ' 

'  And  gone  —  to  the  stables  ! '  And  Fraulein  Anna 
laughed  spitefully.  'She  is  used  to  camp  life,  I  suppose, 
and  prefers  them.' 

'But  that  is  not  right,'  my  lady  said,  with  a  look  of 
annoyance.  She  turned  and  called  to  me.  '  Martin/  she 
said,  '  come  here.  This  girl  —  the  papist  from  the  town  — 
why  has  she  not  been  brought  to  the  women's  quarters  in 
the  house  ? ' 

I  answered  that  I  did  not  know ;  that  she  should  have 
been. 

'We  will  go  and  see/  my  lady  answered,  nodding  her 
head  in  a  way  that  promised  trouble  should  any  one  be 
found  in  fault.  And  without  a  moment's  hesitation  she 
led  the  way  to  the  inner  court,  the  Waldgrave  walking 
beside  her,  and  Fraulein  Anna  following  a  pace  or  two 
behind.  The  latter  still  hugged  her  book,  and  her  face 
wore  a  look  of  secret  anticipation.  I  took  on  myself  to  go 
too,  and  followed  at  a  respectful  distance,  my  mind  in  a 
ferment. 

The  stable  court  at  Heritzburg  is  small.  The  rays  of  the 
sun  even  at  noon  scarcely  warm  it,  and  a  shadow  seemed  to 
fall  on  our  party  as  we  entered.  Two  grooms,  not  on  guard, 
were  going  about  their  ordinary  duties.  They  started  on 
seeing  my  lady,  who  seldom  entered  that  part  without 
notice ;  and  hastened  to  do  reverence  to  her. 

'Where  is  the  girl  who  was  brought  here  from  the 
town  ? '  she  said,  in  a  peremptory  tone. 


72  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

The  men  looked  at  one  another,  scared  by  her  presence, 
yet  not  knowing  what  was  amiss.  Then  one  said,  '  Please 
your  excellency,  she  is  in  the  room  over  the  granary.' 

'  She  should  be  in  the  house,  not  here,'  my  lady  answered 
harshly.  '  Take  me  to  her.' 

The  man  stared,  and  the  Waldgrave,  seeing  his  look  of 
astonishment,  interposed,  murmuring  that  perhaps  the  place 
was  scarcely  fit. 

1  For  me  ?  '  my  lady  said,  cutting  him  short,  with  a  high 
look  which  reminded  me  of  her  uncle,  Count  Tilly.  'You 
forget,  sir  cousin,  that  I  am  not  a  woman  only,  but  mistress 
here.  Ignorance,  which  may  be  seemly  in  a  woman,  does 
not  become  me.  Lead  on,  my  man.' 

The  fellow  led  the  way  up  a  flight  of  outside  steps  which 
gave  access  to  the  upper  granary  floor ;  and  my  lady  fol- 
lowed, rejecting  the  Waldgrave's  hand  and  gazing  with  an 
unmoved  eye  at  the  unfenced  edge  on  her  left;  for  the 
stairs  had  no  rail.  At  the  top  the  groom  opened  the  door 
and  squeezed  himself  aside,  and  my  lady  entered.  The 
Waldgrave  had  given  place  to  Fraulein  Anna  —  whom 
desire  to  see  what  would  happen  had  blinded  to  the  risks  of 
the  stairs — and  she  was  not  slow  to  follow.  The  young 
lord  and  I  pressed  in  a  pace  behind. 

'  This  is  not  a  fit  place  for  a  maiden ! '  T  heard  my  lady 
say  severely;  and  then  she  stopped.  That  was  before  I 
could  see  inside,  the  sudden  pause  coming  as  I  entered. 
The  loft  was  dark,  the  unglazed  windows  being  shuttered  ; 
but  my  eyes  are  good,  and  I  knew  the  place,  and  saw 
at  once  —  what  my  lady  had  seen,  I  think,  at  a  second 
glance  only  —  that  the  man  beside  whom  the  girl  was 
kneeling  —  or  had  been  kneeling,  for  as  I  entered  she  rose 
to  her  feet  with  a  word  of  alarm  —  was  bandaged  from  his 
chin  to  his  crown,  was  helpless  and  maundering,  talking 
strange  nonsense,  and  rolling  his  head  restlessly  from  side 
to  side. 

'  Why,  you  are  a  child ! '  my  lady  said ;  and  this  time  her 
voice  was  soft  and  low  and  full  of  surprise.  *  Who  is  this  ?  ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  73 

she  continued,  pointing  to  the  man;  who  never  ceased  to 
babble  and  move. 

'  It  is  Steve,  my  lady,'  I  said.  '  He  was  hurt  below,  in 
the  town,  and  the  girl  has  been  nursing  him.  I  suppose 
she  —  I  think  no  one  told  her  to  go  elsewhere,'  I  added  by 
way  of  apology  for  her. 

'  Where  could  she  be  better  ? '  my  lady  said  in  a  low 
voice.  '  Child,'  she  continued  gently, '  come  here.  Do  not 
be  afraid.' 

The  girl  had  shrunk  back  at  the  sound  of  my  lady's  first 
words,  or  at  sight  of  so  large  a  company,  and  had  taken  her 
stand  on  the  farther  side  of  Steve,  where  she  crouched  trem- 
bling and  looking  at  us  with  a  terrified  face.  Hearing  her- 
self summoned,  she  came  slowly  and  timidly  forward,  the 
little  boy  who  had  run  to  her  holding  her  hand,  and  hiding 
his  face  in  her  skirts. 

*  I  am  the  countess,'  my  lady  said,  looking  at  her  closely, 
but  with  kindness,  '  and  I  have  come  to  see  how  you  fare.' 

It  was  a  hard  moment  for  the  girl,  but  she  did  the  very 
best  thing  she  could  have  done,  and  one  that  commended 
her  to  my  lady's  heart  for  ever.  For,  bursting  into  tears 
—  I  doubt  not  the  sound  of  a  woman's  voice  speaking 
mildly  to  her  touched  her  heart  —  she  dropped  on  her  knees 
before  the  countess  and  kissed  her  hand,  sobbing  piteous 
words  of  thankfulness  and  appeal. 

'  Chut !  chut ! '  my  lady  said,  a  little  tremor  in  her  own 
voice.  '  You  are  safe  now.  Be  comforted.  You  shall  be 
protected  here,  whatever  betide.  But  you  have  lost  your 
father  ?  Yes,  I  remember,  child.  Well,  it  is  over  now. 
You  are  quite  safe.  See,  this  gentleman  shall  be  your 
champion.  And  Martin  there.  He  is  a  match  for  any  two. 
Tell  me  your  name.' 

'Marie  —  Marie  Wort.'  The  girl  answered  suppressing 
her  tears  with  an  effort. 

'  How  old  are  you  ? ' 

'  Seventeen,  please  your  excellency.' 

'  And  where  were  you  born,  Marie  ?  ' 


74  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

'  At  Munich,  in  Bavaria.' 

'  You  are  a  Romanist,  I  hear  ?  ' 

'  If  it  please  your  excellency.' 

1  It  does  not  please  me  at  all,'  my  lady  answered 
promptly;  but  she  said  it  with  so  much  mildness  that 
Marie's  eyes  filled  again.  <  I  warn  you,  we  shall  try  to 
convert  you  —  by  kindness.  So  you  are  nursing  this  poor 
fellow  ?  '  And  my  lady  went  up  to  Steve,  and  touched  his 
hand  and  spoke  to  him.  But  he  did  not  know  her,  and  she 
stepped  back,  looking  grave. 

'The  fever  is  on  him  now,'  Marie  said  timidly.  '  He  is 
at  his  worst;  but  he  will  be  better  by-and-by,  if  your 
excellency  pleases.' 

'  He  is  fortunate  in  his  nurse,'  my  lady  answered,  gazing 
searchingly  at  the  other's  pale  face.  '  Will  you  stay  with 
him,  child,  or  would  you  rather  come  into  the  house,  where 
my  women  could  take  care  of  you,  and  you  would  be  more 
comfortable  ? ' 

A  look  of  distress  flickered  in  the  girl's  eyes.  She  hesi- 
tated and  looked  down,  colouring  painfully.  I  dare  say 
that  with  feminine  tact  she  knew  that  my  lady  even  now 
thought  it  scarcely  proper  for  her  to  be  there  —  in  a  house 
where  only  the  men  about  the  stable  lived.  But  she  found 
her  answer. 

'He  was  hurt  trying  to  protect  me,'  she  murmured,  in  a 
low  voice. 

My  lady  nodded.  *  Very  well,'  she  said ;  and  I  saw  that 
she  was  not  displeased.  '  You  shall  stay  with  him.  I  will 
see  that  you  are  taken  care  of.  Come,  Rupert,  I  think  we 
have  seen  enough.' 

She  signed  to  us  to  go  before  her,  and  we  all  went  out, 
and  she  closed  the  door.  At  the  head  of  the  steps,  when 
the  Waldgrave  offered  her  his  hand,  she  waved  it  away, 
and  stood. 

'  Bring  me  a  hammer  and  a  nail,'  she  cried. 

Three  or  four  men,  nearly  half  our  garrison,  had  col- 
lected below,  hearing  where  we  were.  One  of  these  ran 


with  her  own  hands  she  drove  the  nail.     . 
she  turned    ,     .     . 


Then 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  75 

and  fetched  what  she  called  for ;  while  we  all  waited  and 
wondered  what  she  meant.  I  took  the  hammer  and  nail 
from  the  man  and  went  up  again  with  them. 

'  Give  me  my  glove/  she  said,  turning  abruptly  to  the 
Waldgrave. 

He  had  possessed  himself  of  one  in  the  course  of  the  con- 
versation I  have  partly  detailed ;  and  no  doubt  he  did  not 
give  it  up  very  willingly.  But  there  was  no  refusing  her 
under  the  circumstances. 

'  Hold  it  against  the  door  ! '  she  said. 

He  obeyed,  and  with  her  own  hands  she  drove  the  nail 
through  the  glove,  pinning  it  to  the  middle  of  the  door. 
Then  she  turned  with  a  little  colour  in  her  face. 

'  That  is  my  room ! '  she  said,  with  a  ring  of  menace  in 
her  tone.  '  Let  no  one  presume  to  enter  it.  And  have  a 
care,  men  !  Whatever  is  wanted  inside,  place  at  the  thresh- 
old and  begone.' 

Then  she  came  down,  followed  by  the  Waldgrave,  and 
walked  through  the  middle  of  us  and  went  back  to  the  ter- 
race, with  Fraulein  Anna  at  her  heels.  The  Waldgrave 
lingered  a  moment  to  look  at  a  sick  horse,  and  I  to  give  an 
order.  When  we  reached  the  terrace  court  a  few  minutes 
later,  we  found  my  lady  walking  up  and  down  alone  in  the 
sunshine. 

'  Why,  where  is  the  learned  Anna  ? '  the  Waldgrave  said. 

'She  is  gone  to  amuse  herself,'  my  lady  answered,  laugh- 
ing. '  Voetius  is  put  aside  for  the  moment  in  favour  of 
Master  Dietz ! ' 

'  No  ? '  the  young  lord  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  of  surprise. 
'  That  yellow-faced  atomy  ?  She  is  not  in  love  with  him  ?  ' 

'  No,  sir,  certainly  not.' 

'  Then  what  is  it  ?  ' 

'  Well,  I  think  she  is  a  little  jealous,'  my  lady  answered 
with  a  smile.  '  We  have  been  so  long  colloguing  with  a 
papist,  Anna  thinks  some  amends  are  due  to  the  Church. 
And  she  is  gone  to  make  them.  At  any  rate,  she  asked  me 
a  few  minutes  ago  if  she  might  pay  a  visit  to  Dietz.  "  For 


76  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

what  purpose  ?  "  I  said.  "  To  discuss  a  point  with  him," 
she  answered.  So  I  told  her  to  go,  if  she  liked,  and  by  this 
time  I  don't  doubt  that  they  are  hard  at  it.' 

'  Over  Voetius  ? ' 

'  No,  sir/  my  lady  answered  gaily.  '  Beza  more  probably, 
or  Calvin.  You  know  little  of  either,  I  expect.  I  do  not 
wonder  that  Anna  is  driven  to  seek  more  improving 
company.' 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    CATASTROPHE. 

ALL  that  day  the  town  remained  quiet,  and  all  day  the 
Waldgrave  and  my  lady  walked  to  and  fro  in  the  sunshine ; 
or  my  lady  sat  working  on  one  of  the  stone  seats,  while  he 
built  castles  in  the  air,  which  she  knocked  down  with  a  sly 
word  or  a  merry  glance.  Fraulein  Anna,  always  with  the 
big  book,  flitted  from  door  to  door,  like  an  unquiet  spirit. 
The  sentries  dozed  at  their  posts,  old  Jacob  in  his  chair  in 
the  guard-room,  the  cannons  under  their  breech-clouts.  If 
this  could  be  said  to  be  a  state  of  siege,  it  was  the  most 
gentle  and  joyous  one  paladin  ever  shared  or  mistress 
imagined. 

But  no  message  reached  us  from  the  town,  and  that  dis- 
turbed me.  Half  a  dozen  times  I  went  to  the  wall  and, 
leaning  over  it,  listened.  Each  time  I  came  away  satisfied. 
All  seemed  quiet;  the  market-place  rather  fuller  perhaps 
than  on  common  days,  the  hum  of  life  more  steady  and 
persistent ;  but  neither  to  any  great  extent.  Despite  this  I 
could  not  shake  off  a  feeling  of  uneasiness.  I  remembered 
certain  faces  I  had  seen  in  the  town,  grim  faces  lurking  in 
corners,  seen  over  men's  shoulders  or  through  half-open 
doors ;  and  a  dog  barking  startled  me,  the  shadow  of  a  crow 
flying  over  the  court  made  me  jump  a  yard. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  77 

Night  only  added  to  my  nervousness.  I  doubled  all  the 
guards,  stationing  two  men  at  the  town-wicket  and  two  at 
the  stable-gate,  which  leads  to  the  bridge.  And  not  con- 
tent  with  these  precautions,  though  the  Waldgrave  laughed 
at  them  and  me,  I  got  out  of  bed  three  times  in  the  night, 
and  went  the  round  to  assure  myself  that  the  men  were  at 
their  posts. 

When  morning  came  without  mishap,  but  also  without 
bringing  any  overture  from  the  town,  the  Waldgrave 
laughed  still  more  loudly.  But  my  lady  looked  grave.  I 
did  not  dare  to  interfere  or  give  advice  —  having  been  once 
admitted  to  say  my  say  —  but  I  felt  that  it  would  be  a 
serious  thing  if  the  forty-eight  hours  elapsed  and  the  town 
refused  to  make  amends.  My  lady  felt  this  too,  I  think ; 
and  by-and-by  she  held  a  council  with  the  Waldgrave  ;  and 
about  midday  my  lord  came  to  rne,  and  with  a  somewhat 
wry  face  bade  me  have  the  prisoners  conducted  to  the 
parlour. 

He  sent  me  at  the  same  time  on  an  errand  to  another 
part  of  the  castle,  and  so  I  cannot  say  what  passed.  I 
believe  my  lady  dealt  with  the  two  very  firmly;  reiterat- 
ing her  judgment  of  the  day  before,  and  only  adding  that 
in  clemency  she  had  thought  better  of  imprisoning  them, 
and  would  now  suffer  them  to  go  to  their  homes,  in  the 
hope  that  they  would  use  their  influence  to  save  the  town 
from  worse  trouble. 

I  met  the  two  crossing  the  terrace  on  their  way  to  the 
gate  and  was  struck  by  something  peculiar  in  their  aspect. 
Master  Hofman  was  all  of  a  tremble  with  excitement  and 
eagerness  to  be  gone.  His  fat,  half-moon  of  a  face  shone 
with  anxiety.  He  stuttered  when  he  tried  to  give  me  good 
day  as  I  passed ;  and  he  seemed  to  have  eyes  only  for  the 
gate,  dragging  his  smaller  companion  along  by  the  arm, 
and  more  than  once  whispering  in  his  ear  as  if  to  adjure 
him  not  to  waste  a  moment. 

The  little  Minister,  on  the  other  hand,  hung  back  and 
marched  slowly,  his  face  wearing  a  look  of  triumph  which 


78  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

showed  very  plainly  —  or  so  I  construed  it  —  that  he  re- 
garded  his  release  in  the  light  of  a  victory.  His  sallow 
cheeks  were  flushed,  and  his  eyes  gleamed  spitefully  as  he 
looked  from  side  to  side.  He  held  himself  bolt  upright, 
with  a  square  Bible  clasped  to  his  breast,  and  as  he  passed 
me  he  could  not  refrain  from  a  characteristic  outbreak. 
Doubtless  to  bridle  himself  before  my  lady  had  almost 
choked  him.  He  laughed  in  my  face.  '  Dry  bones ! '  he 
cackled.  '  And  mouths  that  speak  not ! ' 

1  Speak  plainly  yourself,  Master  Dietz,'  I  answered,  for  I 
have  never  thought  ministers  more  than  other  men.  'Then 
perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to  understand  you.' 

'  Sounding  brass  and  a  tinkling  cymbal ! '  he  replied, 
cracking  his  fingers  in  my  face  and  laughing  triumphantly. 

He  would  have  said  more,  I  imagine ;  but  at  that  moment 
the  Burgomaster  fell  bodily  upon  him,  and  drove  him  by 
main  force  through  the  gate  which  had  been  opened.  Out- 
side even,  he  made  some  attempts  to  return  and  defy  us, 
crying  out  '  Whited  sepulchres ! '  and  the  like.  But  the 
steps  were  narrow  and  steep,  and  Hofman  stood  like  a 
feather  bed  in  the  way,  and  presently  he  desisted.  The 
two  stumbled  down  together  and  we  saw  no  more  of 
them. 

The  men  about  me  laughed ;  but  I  had  reason  for  think- 
ing it  far  from  a  laughing  matter,  and  I  hastened  into  the 
house  that  I  might  tell  my  lady.  When  I  entered  the 
parlour,  however,  where  I  found  her  with  the  Waldgrave 
and  Fraulein  Anna,  she  held  up  her  hand  to  check  me. 
She  and  the  Waldgrave  were  laughing,  and  Fraulein  Anna, 
half  shy  and  half  sullen,  was  leaning  against  the  table 
looking  at  the  floor,  with  her  cheeks  red. 

'Come,' my  lady  was  saying,  'you  were  with  him  half 
an  hour,  Anna.  You  can  surely  tell  us  what  you  talked 
about.  Don't  be  afraid  of  Martin.  He  knows  all  our 
secrets.' 

'Or  perhaps  we  are  indiscreet,'  the  Waldgrave  said 
gravely,  but  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  '  When  a  young 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  79 

lady  visits  a  gentleman  in  captivity,  the  conversation 
should  be  of  a  tender  nature.' 

'  Which  shows,  sir,  that  you  know  little  about  it,'  Frau- 
lein  Anna  answered  indignantly.  '  We  talked  of  Voetius.' 

'  Dear  rne  ! '  my  lord  said.  '  Then  Master  Dietz  knows 
Voetius  ? ' 

'  He  does  not.  He  said  he  considered  such  pagan  learning 
useless,'  Fraulein  Anna  answered,  warming  with  her  subject. 
1  That  it  tended  to  pride,  and  puffed  up  instead  of  giving 
grace.  I  said  that  he  only  saw  one  side  of  the  matter.' 

'In  that  resembling  me,'  my  lord  murmured. 

My  lady  repressed  him  with  a  look.  'Yes,'  she  paid 
pleasantly.  <  And  what  then,  Anna  ?  ' 

'  And  that  he  might  be  wrong  in  this,  as  in  other  matters. 
He  asked  me  what  other  matters,'  Fraulein  Max  continued, 
growing  voluble,  and  almost  confident,  as  she  reviewed  the 
scene.  '  I  said,  the  inferiority  of  women  to  men.  He  said, 
yes,  he  maintained  that,  following  Peter  Martyr.  Well,  I 
said  he  was  wrong,  and  so  was  Peter  Martyr.  "  But  you  do 
not  convince  me,"  he  answered.  "  You  say  that  I  am  wrong 
on  this  as  on  other  points.  Cite  a  point,  then,  on  which  I 
am  wrong."  "  You  know  no  Greek,  you  know  no  Oriental 
tongue,  you  know  no  Hebrew ! "  I  retorted.  "  All  pagan 
learning,"  he  said.  "Cite  a  point  on  which  I  am  wrong. 
I  am  not  often  wrong.  Cite  a  point  on  which  I  am  con- 
fessedly wrong."  So '  —  Fraulein  Anna  laughed  a  little, 
excited  laugh  of  pleasure — 'I  thought  I  would  take  him 
at  his  word,  and  I  said,  "Will  you  abide  by  that?  If  I 
show  you  that  you  have  been  wrong,  that  you  have  been 
deceived  only  to-day,  will  you  acknowledge  that  Peter 
Martyr  was  wrong  ? "  He  said,  oh  yes,  he  would,  if  I 
could  convince  him.  I  said,  "  Exemplum !  You  came 
here  because  you  were  afraid  of  our  cannon.  Granted? 
Yes.  Well,  our  cannon  are  cracked.  They  are  brutum 
fulmen  —  an  empty  threat.  We  could  not  fire  them,  if  we 
would.  So  there,  you  see,  you  were  wrong."  Well,  on 
that ' 


8o  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

But  what  Master  Dietz  said  on  that,  and  what  she 
answered,  we  never  knew,  for  the  Waldgrave,  bounding 
from  the  table,  with  a  crash  which  shook  the  room,  swore 
a  very  pagan  oath. 

'  Himmel ! '  he  cried  in  a  voice  of  passion.  '  The  woman 
has  ruined  us !  Do  you  understand,  Countess  ?  She  has 
told  them !  And  they  have  taken  the  news  to  the  town  ! ' 

'  I  do  understand,'  my  lady  said  softly,  but  with  a  paling 
face.  'By  this  time  it  is  known.' 

'  Known !  Yes ;  and  our  shutting  up  that  poisonous 
little  snake  will  only  make  him  the  more  bitter ! '  my  lord 
answered,  striking  the  table  a  great  blow  in  his  wrath. 
'  We  are  undone  !  Oh,  you  idiot,  you  idiot ! '  and  breaking 
off  suddenly  he  turned  to  Fraulein  Max,  who  stood  weep- 
ing and  trembling  by  the  table.  '  Why  did  you  do  it  ? ' 

'  Hush ! '  my  lady  said  nobly ;  and  she  put  her  arm  round 
Fraulein  Anna.  'She  is  so  absent.  It  was  my  fault.  I 
should  not  have  let  her  see  them.  Besides,  she  did  not 
know  that  they  were  going  to  be  released.  And  it  is  done 
now,  and  cannot  be  undone.  The  question  is,  what  ought 
we  to  do  ? ' 

'  Yes,  what  ? '  my  lord  cried  bitterly,  with  a  glance  at  the 
culprit,  which  showed  that  he  was  very  far  from  forgiving 
her.  'I  am  sure  I  do  not  know,  any  more  than  the  dog 
there ! ' 

My  lady  looked  at  me  anxiously. 

'  Well,  Martin,'  she  said,  '  what  do  you  say  ? ' 

But  I  had  nothing  to  say,  I  felt  myself  at  a  loss.  I 
knew,  better  than  any  of  them,  the  Minister's  sour  nature, 
and  I  had  seen  with  my  own  eyes  the  state  of  resentment 
and  rage  in  which  he  had  left  us.  His  news  would  fall 
like  a  spark  dropped  on  powder.  The  town,  brooding  in 
gloom,  foreboding,  and  terror,  would  in  a  moment  blaze 
into  fierce  wrath.  Every  ruffian  who  had  felt  his  neck 
endangered  by  the  Countess's  sentence,  every  family  that 
had  lost  a  member  in  the  late  riot,  every  one  who  had  an 
old  grievance  to  avenge,  or  a  new  object  to  gain,  would  in 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  81 

an  hour  be  in  arms;  while  those  whose  advantage  lay  com- 
monly on  the  side  of  order  might  stand  aloof  now  —  some 
at  the  instance  of  Bietz,  and  others  through  timidity  and 
that  fear  of  a  mob  which  exists  in  the  mind  of  every 
burgher.  What,  then,  had  we  to  expect?  My  lady  must 
look  to  have  her  authority  flouted  —  that  for  certain;  but 
would  the  matter  end  with  that  ?  Would  the  disorder  stop 
at  the  foot  of  the  steps  ? 

'  I  think  we  are  safe  enough  here,  if  your  excellency  asks 
me,'  I  said,  after  a  moment's  thought.  '  A  dozen  men  could 
hold  the  wicket-gate  against  a  thousand.' 

'  Safe ! '  my  lady  cried  in  a  tone  of  surprise.  '  Yes, 
Martin,  safe !  But  what  of  those  who  look  to  me  for  pro- 
tection ?  Am  I  to  stand  by  and  see  the  law  defied  ?  Am 

I  to '  She  paused.  'What  is  that?'  she  said  in  a 

different  tone,  raising  her  hand  for  silence. 

She  listened,  and  we  listened,  looking  at  one  another 
with  meaning  eyes ;  and  in  a  moment  she  had  her  answer. 
Through  the  open  windows,  with  the  air  and  sunshine,  came 
a  sound  which  rose  and  fell  at  intervals.  It  was  the  noise 
of  distant  cheering.  Full  and  deep,  leaping  up  again  and 
again,  in  insolent  mockery  and  defiance,  it  reached  us  where 
we  stood  in  the  quiet  room,  and  told  us  that  all  was  known. 
While  we  still  listened,  another  sound,  nearer  at  hand, 
broke  the  inner  stillness  of  the  house  —  the  tramp  of  a 
hurrying  foot  on  the  stairs.  Old  Jacob  thrust  in  his  head 
and  looked  at  me. 

'  You  can  speak,'  I  said. 

'  There  is  something  wrong  below,'  he  muttered,  abashed 
at  finding  himself  in  the  presence. 

'  We  know  it,  Jacob,'  my  lady  said  bravely.  '  We  are 
considering  how  to  right  it.  In  the  mean  time,  do  you  go 
to  the  gates,  my  friend,  and  see  that  they  are  well 
guarded.' 

'We  could  send  to  Hesse-Cassel,'  the  Waldgrave  sug- 
gested, when  we  were  again  alone. 

'It  would  be  useless,'  my  lady  answered.  'The  Lancl- 

6 


82  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

grave  is  at  Munich  with  the  King  of  Sweden ;  so  is 
Leuchtenstein.' 

'  If  Leuchtenstein  were  only  at  home ' 

'  Ah ! '  the  Countess  answered  with  a  touch  of  impatience ; 
'but  then  he  is  not.  If  he  were  —  well,  even  he  could 
scarcely  make  troops  where  there  are  none.' 

'There  are  generally  some  to  be  hired/  the  Waldgrave 
answered.  'What  if  we  send  to  Halle,  or  Weimar,  and 
inquire  ?  A  couple  of  hundred  pikes  would  settle  the 
matter.' 

'  God  forbid  ! '  my  lady  answered  with  a  shudder.  '  I 
have  heard  enough  of  the  doings  of  such  soldiers.  The 
town  has  not  deserved  that.' 

The  Waldgrave  looked  at  me,  and  slightly  shrugged  his 
shoulders ;  as  much  as  to  say  that  my  lady  was  impracti- 
cable. But  I,  agreeing  with  every  word  she  said,  only 
loved  her  the  more,  and  could  make  him  no  answer,  even  if 
my  duty  had  permitted  it.  I  hastened  to  suggest  that,  the 
castle  being  safe,  the  better  plan  was  to  wait,  keeping  on 
our  guard,  and  see  what  hr  ppened ;  which,  indeed,  seemed 
also  to  be  the  only  course  open  to  us. 

My  lady  saw  this  and  agreed ;  I  withdrew,  to  spend  the 
rest  of  the  day  in  a  feverish  march  between  the  one  gate 
and  the  other.  We  could  muster  no  more  than  twelve 
effective  men,  including  the  Waldgrave  ;  and  though  these 
might  suffice  for  the  bare  defence  of  the  place,  which  had 
only  two  assailable  points,  the  paucity  of  our  numbers  kept 
me  in  perpetual  fear.  I  knew  my  lady's  proud  nature  so 
well  that  I  dreaded  humiliation  for  her  as  I  might  have 
feared  death  for  another;  with  a  terror  which  made  the 
possibility  of  her  capture  by  the  malcontents  a  misery  to 
me,  a  nightmare  which  would  neither  let  me  rest  nor 
sleep. 

My  lord  soon  recovered  his  spirits.  In  an  hour  or  two 
he  was  as  buoyant  and  cheerful  as  before,  dividing  the 
blame  of  the  contretemps  between  Fraulein  Anna  and  nay- 
s'" ^f,  and  hinting  that  if  he  had  been  left  to  manage  the 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  83 

matter,  the  guilty  would  have  suffered,  and  Dietz  not  gone 
scot-free.  But  I  trembled.  I  did  not  see  how  we  could  be 
surprised  ;  I  thought  it  improbable  that  the  townsfolk 
would  try  to  effect  anything  against  us  ;  impossible  that 
they  should  succeed.  Yet,  when  the  stern  swell  of  one  of 
Luther's  hymns  rose  from  the  town  at  sunset,  and  I  re- 
membered how  easily  men's  hearts  were  inflamed  by  those 
strains ;  and  again,  when  a  huge  bonfire  in  the  market-place 
dispelled  the  night,  and  for  hours  kept  the  town  restless 
and  waking,  I  shuddered,  fearing  I  knew  not  what.  I  will 
answer  for  it,  my  lady,  who  never  ceased  to  wear  a  cheer- 
ful countenance,  did  not  sleep  that  night  one  half  so  ill 
as  I. 

And  yet  I  was  caught  napping.  A  little  before  daybreak, 
when  all  was  quiet,  I  went  to  take  an  hour's  rest.  I  had 
lain  down,  and,  as  far  as  I  could  judge  later,  had  just  fallen 
into  a  doze,  when  a  tremendous  shock,  which  made  the  very 
walls  round  me  tremble,  drew  me  to  my  feet  as  if  a 
giant  hand  had  plucked  me  from  the  bed.  A  crashing 
sound,  mingled  with  the  shiver  of  falling  glass,  filled 
the  air.  For  a  few  seconds  I  stood  trembling  and  bewil- 
dered in  the  middle  of  the  room  —  in  the  state  of  disorder 
natural  to  a  man  rudely  awakened.  I  could  not  on  the 
instant  collect  myself  or  comprehend  what  had  happened. 
Then,  in  a  flash,  the  fears  of  the  day  returned  to  my  mind, 
and  springing  to  the  door,  half-dressed  as  I  was,  I  ran  down 
to  the  courtyard. 

Some  of  the  servants  were  already  there,  a  white- 
cheeked,  panic-stricken  group  of  men  and  women  inter- 
mixed ;  but,  for  a  moment,  I  could  get  no  answer  to  my 
questions.  All  spoke  at  once,  none  knew.  Then  —  it  was 
just  growing  light  —  from  the  direction  of  the  stable-gate  a 
man  came  running  out  of  the  dusk  with  a  half-pike  on  his 
shoulder. 

'  Quick  ! '  he  cried.     '  This  way,  give  me  a  musket.' 

'What  is  it  ?  '     I  answered,  seizing  him  by  the  arm. 

'  They  have  blown  up  the  bridge  —  the  bridge  over  the 


84  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

ravine  ! '  he  replied,  panting.  '  Quick,  a  gun  !  A  part  is 
left,  and  they  are  hacking  it  down  ! ' 

In  a  moment  I  saw  all.  '  To  your  posts  ! '  I  shouted. 
1  And  the  women  into  the  house !  See  to  the  wicket-gate, 
Jacob,  and  do  not  leave  it ! '  Then  I  sprang  into  the  guard- 
house and  snatched  down  a  carbine,  three  or  four  of  which 
hung  loaded  in  the  loops.  The  sentry  who  had  brought 
the  news  seized  another,  and  we  ran  together  through  the 
stable  court  and  to  the  gate,  four  or  five  of  the  servants  fol- 
lowing us. 

Elsewhere  it  was  growing  light.  Here  a  thick  cloud  of 
smoke  and  dust  still  hung  in  the  air,  with  a  stifling  reek  of 
powder.  But  looking  through  one  of  the  loopholes  in  the 
gate,  I  was  able  to  discern  that  the  farther  end  of  the 
bridge  which  spanned  the  ravine  was  gone  —  or  gone  in 
part.  The  right-hand  wall,  with  three  or  four  feet  of  the 
roadway,  still  hung  in  air,  but  half  a  dozen  men,  whose 
figures  loomed  indistinctly  through  a  haze  of  dust  and 
gloom,  were  working  at  it  furiously,  demolishing  it  with 
bars  and  pickaxes. 

At  that  sight  I  fell  into  a  rage.  I  saw  in  a  flash  what 
would  happen  if  the  bridge  sank  and  we  were  cut  off  from 
all  exit  except  through  the  town-gate.  The  dastardly  nature 
of  the  surprise,  too,  and  the  fiendish  energy  of  the  men  com- 
bined to  madden  me.  I  gave  no  warning  and  cried  out  no 
word,  but  thrusting  my  weapon  through  the  loophole  aimed 
at  the  nearest  worker,  and  fired. 

The  man  dropped  his  tool  and  threw  up  his  arms,  stag- 
gered forward  a  couple  of  paces,  and  fell  sheer  over  the 
broken  edge  into  the  gulf.  His  fellows  stood  a  moment  in 
terror,  looking  after  him,  but  the  sentry  who  had  warned 
me  fired  through  the  other  loophole,  and  that  started  them. 
They  flung  down  their  tools  and  bolted  like  so  many  rab- 
bits. The  smoke  of  the  carbine  was  scarce  out  of  the 
muzzle,  before  the  bridge,  or  what  remained  of  it,  was 
clear. 

I  turned  round  and  found  the  Waldgrave  at  my  elbow. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  85 

*  Well  done  ! '  he  said  heartily.  '  That  will  teach  the  ras- 
cals a  lesson ! ' 

I  was  trembling  in  every  limb  with  excitement,  but 
before  I  answered  him,  I  handed  my  gun  to  one  of  the  men 
who  had  followed  me.  '  Load,'  I  said,  '  and  if  a  man  comes 
near  the  bridge,  shoot  him  down.  Keep  your  eye  on  the 
bridge,  and  do  nothing  else  until  I  come  back.' 

Then  I  walked  away  through  the  stable-court  with  the 
Waldgrave  ;  who  looked  at  me  curiously.  '  You  were  only 
just  in  time,'  he  said. 

'  Only  just,'  I  muttered. 

'  There  is  enough  left  for  a  horse  to  cross.' 

*  Yes,'  I  answered,  'to-day.' 

'  Why  to-day  ?  '  he  asked,  still  looking  at  me.  I  think 
he  was  surprised  to  see  me  so  much  moved. 

'Because  the  rest  will  be  blown  up  to-night,'  I  answered 
bluntly.  '  Or  may  be.  How  can  we  guard  it  in  the  dark  ? 
It  is  fifty  paces  from  the  gate.  We  cannot  risk  men  there 
—  with  our  numbers.' 

'  Still  it  may  not  be,'  he  said.  '  We  must  keep  a  sharp 
look-out.' 

'  But  if  it  is  ?  '  I  answered,  halting  suddenly,  and  looking 
him  full  in  the  face.  *  If  it  is,  my  lord  ? '  I  continued. 
'  We  are  provisioned  for  a  week  only.  It  is  not  autumn, 
you  see.  Then  the  pickle  tubs  would  be  full,  the  larder 
stocked,  the  rafters  groaning,  the  still-room  supplied.  But 
it  is  May,  and  there  is  little  left.  The  last  three  days  we 
have  been  thinking  of  other  things  than  provisions  ;  and  we 
have  thirty  mouths  to  feed.' 

The  Waldgrave's  face  fell.  '  I  had  not  thought  of  that,' 
he  said.  'The  bridge  gone,  they  may  starve  us,  you 
mean  ? ' 

'  Into  submission  to  whatever  terms  they  please,'  I 
answered.  '  We  are  too  few  to  cut  our  way  through  the 
town,  and  there  would  be  no  other  way  of  escape.' 

'  What  do  you  advise,  then  ?  '  he  asked,  drawing  me  aside 
with  a  flustered  air.  '  Flight?  ' 


86  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  A  horse  might  cross  the  bridge  to-day,'  I  said. 

'  But  any  terms  would  be  better  than  that ! '  he  replied 
with  vehemence. 

'  What  if  they  demand  the  expulsion  of  the  Catholic 
girl,  my  lofd,  whom  the  Countess  has  taken  under  her 
protection  ? ' 

'  They  will  not ! '  he  said. 

'They  may,'  I  persisted. 

'  Then  we  will  not  give  her  up.* 

'  But  the  alternative  —  starvation  ?  ' 

1  Pooh !  It  will  not  come  to  that  ! '  he  answered  lightly. 
'  You  leap  before  you  reach  the  stile.' 

'Because,  my  lord,  there  will  be  no  leaping  if  we  do 
reach  it.' 

'Nonsense  !'  he  cried  masterfully.  '  Something  must  be 
risked.  To  give  up  a  strong  place  like  this  to  a  parcel  of 
clodhoppers  —  it  is  absurd  !  At  the  worst  we  could 
parley.' 

'  I  do  not  think  my  lady  would  consent  to  parley.' 

'  I  shall  say  nothing  to  her  about  it,'  he  answered.  '  She 
is  no  judge  of  such  things.' 

I  had  been  thinking  all  the  while  that  he  had  that  in 
his  mind,  and  on  the  spot  I  answered  him  squarely  that  I 
v,ould  not  consent.  'My  lady  must  know  all,'  I  said,  'and 
decide  for  herself.' 

He  started,  looking  at  me  with  his  face  very  red.  '  Why, 
man,'  he  said,  '  would  you  browbeat  me  ?' 

'  No,  my  lord,'  I  said  firmly,  '  but  my  lady  must  know.' 

'You  are  insolent !'  he  cried,  in  a  passion.  '  You  forget 
yourself,  man,  and  that  your  mistress  has  placed  me  in 
command  here ! ' 

'I  forget  nothing,  my  lord,'  I  answered,  waxing  firmer. 
'What  I  remember  is  that  she  is  my  mistress.' 

He  glared  at  me  a  moment,  his  face  dark  with  anger,  and 
then  with  a  contemptuous  gesture  he  left  me  and  walked 
twice  or  thrice  across  the  court.  Doubtless  the  air  did  him 
good,  for  presently  he  came  back  to  me.  '  You  are  an  ill- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  87 

bred  meddler  ! '  he  said  with  his  head  high,  '  and  I  shall  re- 
member it.  But  for  the  present  have  your  way.  I  will 
tell  the  Countess  and  take  her  opinion.' 

He  went  into  the  house  to  do  it,  and  I  waited  patiently  in 
the  courtyard,  watching  the  sun  rise  and  all  the  roofs  grow 
red ;  listening  to  the  twittering  of  the  birds,  and  wonder- 
ing what  the  answer  would  be.  I  had  not  set  myself 
against  him  without  misgiving,  for  in  a  little  while  all 
might  be  in  his  hands.  But  fear  for  my  mistress  out- 
weighed fears  on  my  own  account ;  and  in  the  thought  of 
her  shame,  should  she  awake  some  morning  and  find  herself 
trapped,  I  lost  thought  of  my  own  interest  and  advancement. 
I  have  heard  it  said  that  he  builds  best  for  himself  who 
builds  for  another.  It  was  so  on  this  occasion. 

He  came  back  presently,  looking  thoughtful,  as  if  my 
lady  had  talked  to  him  very  freely,  and  shown  him  a  side 
of  her  character  that  had  escaped  him.  The  anger  was 
clean  gone  from  his  face,  and  he  spoke  to  me  without 
embarrassment;  in  apparent  forgetfulness  that  there  had 
been  any  difference  between  us.  Nor  did  I  ever  find  him 
bear  malice  long. 

'  The  Countess  decides  to  go/  he  said,  '  either  to  Cassel 
or  Frankfort,  according  to  the  state  of  the  roads.  She  will 
take  with  her  Fraulein  Max,  her  two  women,  and  the 
Catholic  girl,  and  as  many  men  as  you  can  horse.  She 
thinks  she  may  safely  leave  the  castle  in  charge  of  old 
Jacob  and  Franz,  with  a  letter  directed  to  the  Burgomaster 
and  council,  throwing  the  responsibility  for  its  custody  on 
them.  When  do  you  think  we  should  start  ? ' 

'  Soon  after  dark  this  evening,'  I  answered,  '  if  my  lady 
pleases.' 

*  Then  that  decides  it,'  he  replied  carelessly,  the  dawn  of 
a  new  plan  and  new  prospects  lighting  up  his  handsome 
face.  '  See  to  it,  will  you  ? ' 


88  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

WALNUTS    OF    GOLD. 

NIGHT  is  like  a  lady's  riding-mask,  which  gives  to  the 
most  familiar  features  a  strange  and  uncanny  aspect. 
When  to  night  are  added  silence  and  alarm,  and  that  worst 
burden  of  all,  responsibility  —  responsibility  where  a  broken 
twig  may  mean  a  shot,  and  a  rolling  stone  capture,  where 
in  a  moment  the  evil  is  done  —  then  you  have  a  scene  and 
a  time  to  try  the  stoutest. 

To  walk  boldly  into  a  wall  of  darkness,  relying  on  day- 
light knowledge,  which  says  there  is  no  wall ;  to  step  over 
the  precipice  on  the  faith  of  its  depth  being  shadow  —  this 
demands  nerve  in  those  who  are  not  used  to  the  vagaries  of 
night.  But  when  the  darkness  may  at  any  instant  belch 
forth  a  sheet  of  flame ;  when  every  bush  may  hide  a 
cowardly  foe  and  every  turn  a  pitfall,  and  there  are  women 
in  company  and  helpless  children,  then  a  man  had  need  to 
be  an  old  soldier  or  forest-born,  if  he  would  keep  his  head 
cool,  and  tell  one  horse  from  another  by  the  sound  of  its 
hoofs. 

We  started  about  eight,  and  started  well.  The  Wald- 
grave  and  half  a  dozen  men  crossed  first  on  foot,  and  took 
post  to  protect  the  farther  end  of  the  bridge.  Then  I  led 
over  the  horses,  beginning  with  the  four  sumpter  beasts. 
Satisfied  after  this  that  the  arch  remained  uninjured,  and 
that  there  was  room  and  to  spare,  I  told  my  lady,  and  she 
rode  over  by  herself  on  Pushka.  Marie  Wort  tripped  after 
her  with  the  child  in  her  arms.  Fraulein  Max  I  carried. 
My  lady's  women  crossed  hand  in  hand.  Then  the  rest. 
So  like  a  troop  of  ghosts  or  shadows,  with  hardly  a  word 
spoken  or  an  order  given,  we  flitted  into  the  darkness,  and 
met  under  the  trees,  where  those  who  had  not  yet  mounted 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  89 

got  to  horse.  Led  by  young  Jacob,  who  knew  every  path  in 
the  valley  and  could  find  his  way  blindfold,  we  struck  away 
from  the  road  without  delay,  and  taking  lanes  and  tracks 
which  ran  beside  it,  presently  hit  it  again  a  league  or  more 
beyond  the  town  and  far  on  the  way. 

'  That  was  a  ride  not  to  be  forgotten.  The  night  was 
dark.  At  a  distance  the  dim  lights  of  the  town  did  not 
show.  The  valley  in  which  we  rode,  and  which  grows 
straighter  as  it  approaches  the  mouth  and  the  river,  seemed 
like  a  black  box  without  a  lid.  The  wind,  laden  with 
mysterious  rustlings  and  the  thousand  sad  noises  of  the 
night,  blew  in  our  faces.  Now  and  then  an  owl  hooted,  or 
a  branch  creaked,  or  a  horse  stumbled  and  its  rider  railed 
at  it.  But  for  the  most  part  we  rode  in  silence,  the  women 
trembling  and  crossing  themselves  —  as  most  of  our  people 
do  to  this  day,  when  they  are  frightened  —  and  the  men 
riding  warily,  with  straining  eyes  and  ears  on  the  stretch. 

Before  we  reached  the  ford,  which  lies  nearly  eight  miles 
from  the  castle,  the  Waldgrave,  who  had  his  place  beside 
my  lady,  began  to  talk  ;  and  then,  if  not  before,  I  knew  that 
his  love  for  her  was  a  poor  thing.  For,  being  in  high 
spirits  at  the  success  of  our  plan  —  which  he  had  come  to 
consider  his  plan —  and  delighted  to  find  himself  again  in 
the  saddle  with  an  adventure  before  him,  he  forgot  that  the 
matter  must  wear  a  different  aspect  in  her  eyes.  She  was 
leaving  her  home  —  the  old  rooms,  the  old  books,  and 
presses  and  stores,  the  duties,  stately  or  simple,  in  which  her 
life  had  been  passed.  And  leaving  them,  not  in  the  day- 
light, and  with  a  safe  and  assured  future  before  her,  but  by 
stealth  and  under  cover  of  night,  with  a  mind  full  of 
anxious  questionings ! 

To  my  lord  it  seemed  a  fine  thing  to  have  the  world 
before  him ;  to  know  that  all  Germany  beyond  the 
Werra  was  convulsed  by  war,  and  a  theatre  wherein  a 
bold  man  might  look  to  play  his  part.  But  to  a  woman, 
however  high-spirited,  the  knowledge  was  not  reassuring. 
To  one  who  was  exchanging  her  own  demesne  and  peace 


QO  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

and  plenty  for  a  wandering   life   and  dependence  on  the 
protection  of  men,  it  was  the  reverse. 

So,  while  my  lord  talked  gaily,  my  lady,  I  think,  wept ; 
doing  that  under  cover  of  darkness  and  her  mask,  which 
she  would  never  have  done  in  the  light.  He  talked  on, 
planning  and  proposing ;  and  where  a  true  lover  would 
have  been  quick  to  divine  the  woman's  weakness,  he  felt 
no  misgiving,  thrilled  with  no  sympathy.  Then  I  knew 
that  he  lacked  the  subtle  instinct  which  real  love  creates ; 
which  teaches  the  strong  what  it  is  the  feeble  dread,  and 
gives  a  woman  the  daring  of  a  man. 

As  we  drew  near  the  ford,  I 'dropped  back  to  see  that 
all  crossed  safely.  Pushka,  I  knew,  would  carry  my  lady 
over,  but  some  of  the  others  were  worse  mounted.  This 
brought  me  abreast  of  the  Catholic  girl,  though  the  dark- 
ness was  such  that  I  recognized  her  only  by  the  dark  mass 
before  her,  which  I  knew  to  be  the  child.  We  had  had 
some  difficulty  in  separating  her  from  Steve,  and  persuad- 
ing her  that  the  man  ran  no  risk  where  he  lay ;  otherwise 
she  had  behaved  admirably.  I  did  not  speak  to  her,  but 
when  I  saw  the  gleam  of  water  before  us,  and  heard  the 
horses  of  the  leaders  begin  to  splash  through  the  shallows, 
I  leant  over  and  took  hold  of  the  boy. 

'  You  had  better  give  him  to  me,'  I  said  gruffly.  '  You 
will  have  both  hands  free  then.  Keep  your  feet  high,  and 
hold  by  the  pommel.  If  your  horse  begins  to  swim  leave 
its  head  loose.' 

I  expected  her  to  make  a  to-do  about  giving  up  the  child  ; 
but  she  did  not,  and  I  lifted  it  to  the  withers  of  my  horse. 
She  muttered  something  in  a  tone  which  sounded  grateful, 
and  then  we  splashed  on  in  silence,  the  horses  putting  one 
foot  gingerly  before  the  other ;  some  sniffing  the  air  with 
loud  snorts  and  outstretched  necks,  and  some  stopping 
outright. 

I  rode  on  the  upstream  side  of  the  girl,  to  break  the 
force  of  the  water.  Not  that  the  ford  is  dangerous  in  the 
daytime  (it  has  been  bridged  these  five  years),  but  at  night, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  91 

and  with  so  many  horses,  it  was  possible  one  or  another 
might  stray  from  the  track ;  for  the  ford  is  not  straight, 
but  slants  across  the  stream.  However,  we  all  passed 
safely ;  and  yet  the  crossing  remains  in  my  memory. 

As  I  held  the  child  before  me  —  it  was  a  gallant  little 
thing,  and  clung  to  me  without  cry  or  word  —  I  felt  some- 
thing rough  round  its  neck.  At  the  moment  I  was  deep  in 
the  water,  and  I  had  no  hand  to  spare.  But  by-and-by,  as 
we  rode  out  and  began  to  clamber  up  the  farther  bank,  I 
laid  my  hand  on  its  neck,  suspecting  already  what  I  should 
find. 

I  was  not  mistaken.  Under  my  fingers  lay  the  very 
necklace  which  Peter  had  described  to  me  with  so  much 
care !  I  could  trace  the  shape  and  roughness  of  the  wal- 
nuts. I  could  almost  count  them.  Even  of  the  length  of 
the  chain  I  could  fairly  judge.  It  was  long  enough  to  go 
twice  round  the  child's  neck. 

As  soon  as  I  had  made  certain,  I  let  it  be,  lest  the  child 
should  cry  out;  and  I  rode  on,  thinking  hard.  What,  I 
wondered,  had  induced  the  girl  to  put  the  chain  round  its 
neck  at  that  juncture?  She  had  hidden  it  so  carefully 
hitherto,  that  no  eye  but  Peter's,  so  far  as  I  could  judge, 
had  seen  it.  Why  this  carelessness  now,  then  ?  Certainly 
it  was  dark,  and,  as  far  as  eyes  went,  the  chain  was  safe. 
But  round  her  own  neck,  under  her  kerchief,  where  it  had 
lain  before,  it  was  still  safer.  Why  had  she  removed  it  ? 

We  had  topped  the  farther  bank  by  this  time,  and  were 
riding  slowly  along  the  right-hand  side  of  the  river ;  but  I 
was  still  turning  this  over  in  my  mind,  when  I  heard  her 
on  a  sudden  give  a  little  gasp.  I  knew  in  a  moment  what 
it  was.  She  had  bethought  her  where  the  necklace  was. 
I  was  not  a  whit  surprised  when  she  asked  me  in  a  tremu- 
lous tone  to  give  her  back  the  child. 

'  It  is  very  well  here,'  I  said,  to  try  her. 

'  It  will  trouble  you,'  she  muttered  faintly. 

'  I  will  say  when  it  does,'  I  answered. 

She  did  not  answer  anything  to  that,  but  I  heard  her 


92  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

breathing  hard,  and  knew  that  she  was  racking  her  brains 
for  some  excuse  to  get  the  child  from  me.  For  what  if 
daylight  came  and  I  still  rode  with  it,  the  necklace  in  full 
view?  Or  what  if  we  stopped  at  some  house  and  lights 
were  brought  ?  Or  what,  again,  if  I  perceived  the  necklac 
and  took  possession  of  it ! 

This  last  idea  so  charmed  me  — I  was  in  a  grim  humour 

—  that  my  hand  was  on  the  necklace,  and  almost  before  I 
knew  what  I  was  doing,  I  was  feeling  for  the  clasp  which 
fastened  it.     Some  fiend  brought  the  thing  under  my  fingers 
in  a  twinkling.     The  necklace  seemed  to  fall  loose  of  its 
own  accord.     In  a  moment  it  was  swinging  and  swaying  in 
my  hand.     In  another  I  had  gathered  it  up  and  slid  it  into 
my  pouch. 

The  trick  was  done  so  easily  and  so  quickly  that  I  think 
some  devil  must  have  helped  me ;  the  child  neither  moving 
nor  crying  out,  though  it  was  old  enough  to  take  notice, 
and  could  even  speak,  as  children  of  that  age  can  speak 

—  intelligibly  to    those    who    know   them,    gibberish    to 
strangers. 

I  need  not  say  that  I  never  meant  to  steal  a  link  of  the 
thing.  The  temptation  which  moved  me  was  the  temp- 
tation to  tease  the  girl.  I  thought  this  a  good  way  of 
punishing  her.  I  thought,  first  to  torment  her  by  making 
her  think  the  necklace  gone;  and  then  to  shame  her  by 
producing  it,  and  giving  it  back  to  her  with  a  dry  word 
that  should  show  her  I  understood  her  deceit. 

So,  even  when  the  thing  was  done,  and  the  chain  snug  in 
my  pocket,  I  did  not  for  a  while  repent,  but  hugged  myself 
on  the  jest  and  smiled  under  cover  of  the  darkness.  I 
carried  the  child  a  mile  farther,  and  then  handed  it  down 
to  Marie,  with  an  appearance  of  unconsciousness  which  it 
was  not  very  hard  to  assume,  since  she  could  not  see  my 
face.  But  doubtless  every  yard  of  that  mile  had  been  a 
torture  to  her.  I  heard  her  sigh  with  relief  as  her  arms 
closed  round  the  boy.  Then,  the  next  moment  I  knew  that 
she  had  discovered  her  loss.  She  uttered  a  sobbing  cry, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  93 

and  I  heard  her  passing  her  hands  through  the  child's 
clothing,  while  her  breath  came  and  went  in  gasps. 

She  plucked  at  her  bridle  so  suddenly  that  those  who 
rode  behind  ran  into  us.  I  made  way  for  them  to  pass. 

'What  is  it  ?  '  I  said  roughly.     '  What  is  the  matter  ?  ' 

She  muttered  under  her  breath,  with  her  hands  still 
searching  the  child,  that  she  had  lost  something. 

'If  you  have,  it  is  gone,'  I  said  bluntly.  'You  would 
hardly  find  a  hayrick  to-night.  You  must  have  dropped  it 
coming  through  the  ford  ? ' 

She  did  not  answer,  but  I  heard  her  begin  to  sob,  and 
then  for  the  first  time  I  felt  uncomfortable.  I  repented  of 
what  I  had  done,  and  wished  with  all  my  heart  that  the 
chain  was  round  the  child's  neck  again.  -'Come,  come,'  I 
said  awkwardly,  '  it  was  not  of  much  value,  I  suppose.  At 
any  rate,  it  is  no  good  crying  over  it.' 

She  did  not  answer ;  she  was  still  searching.  I  could 
hear  what  she  was  doing,  though  I  could  not  see ;  there 
were  trees  overhead,  and  it  was  as  much  as  I  could  do  to 
make  out  her  figure.  At  last  I  grew  angry,  partly  with 
myself,  partly  with  her.  'Come,'  I  said  roughly,  'we 
cannot  stay  here  alf  night.  We  must  be  moving.' 

She  assented  meekly,  and  we  rode  on.  But  still  I  heard 
her  crying ;  and  she  seemed  to  be  hugging  the  child  to  her, 
as  if,  now  the  necklace  was  gone,  she  had  nothing  but  the 
boy  left.  I  tried  to  see  the  humour  in  the  joke  as  I  had 
seen  it  a  few  minutes  before,  but  the  sparkle  had  gone  out 
of  it,  I  felt  that  I  had  been  a  brute.  I  began  to  reflect  that 
this  girl,  a  stranger  and  helpless,  in  a  strange  land,  had 
nothing  upon  which  she  could  depend  but  these  few  links 
of  gold.  What  wonder,  then,  if  she  valued  them ;  if,  like 
all  other  women,  she  hid  them  away  and  fibbed  about  them ; 
if  she  wept  over  them  now  they  were  gone  ? 

Of  course  it  was  in  my  power  in  a  moment  to  bring  them 
back  again ;  and  nothing  had  seemed  easier,  a  few  minutes 
before,  than  to  hand  them  back  —  with  a  little  speech  which 
should  cover  her  with  confusion  and  leave  me  unmoved. 


94  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

Now,  though  I  wished  them  round  her  neck  again  with  all 
the  good-will  in  life,  and  though  to  effect  my  wish  I  had 
only  to  do  what  I  had  planned  —  only  to  stretch  out  my 
hand  with  that  word  or  two  —  I  sat  in  my  saddle  hot  and 
tongue-tied,  my  fingers  sticking  to  the  chain. 

Her  grief  had  somehow  put  a  new  face  on  the  matter, 
I  could  not  bear  to  confess  that  I  had  caused  it  wantonly 
and  for  a  jest.  The  right  words  would  not  come,  while 
every  moment  which  prolonged  the  silence  between  us 
made  the  attempt  seem  more  hopeless,  the  task  more  diffi- 
cult; till,  like  the  short-sighted  craven  I  was,  I  thrust 
back  the  chain  into  my  pocket,  and,  determining  to  take 
some  secret  way  of  restoring  it,  put  off  the  crisis. 

In  a  degree  I  was  hurried  to  this  decision  by  our  arrival 
at  the  place  where  we  were  to  rest.  This  was  an  outlying 
farm  belonging  to  Heritzburg  and  long  used  by  the  family, 
when  journeying  to  Cassel.  Alas  !  when  we  came  to  it, 
cold,  shivering,  and  hungry,  we  found  it  ruined  and  tenant- 
less,  with  war's  grim  brand  so  deeply  stamped  upon  the 
face  of  everything  that  even  the  darkness  of  night  failed  to 
hide  the  scars.  I  had  not  expected  this,  and  for  a  while  I 
forgot  the  necklace  in  anxiety  for  niy  lady's  comfort.  I 
had  to  get  lights  and  see  fires  kindled,  to  order  the  disposal 
of  the  horses,  to  unpack  the  food;  for  we  found  no  scrap, 
even  of  fodder  for  the  beasts,  in  the  grimy,  smoke-stained 
barn,  which  I  had  known  so  well  stored.  Nor  was  the 
house  in  better  case.  Bed  and  board  were  gone,  and  half 
the  roof.  The  door  lay  shattered  on  the  threshold,  the 
window-frames,  smashed  in  wanton  fury,  covered  the  floor. 
The  wind  moaned  through  the  empty  rooms ;  here  and  there 
water  stood  in  puddles.  Kound  the  hearth  lay  broken 
flasks,  and  rotting  debris,  and  pewter  plates  bent  double  — 
the  relics  of  the  ravager's  debauch. 

We  walked  about,  with  lights  held  above  our  heads,  and 
looked  at  all  this  miserably  enough.  It  was  our  first 
glimpse  of  war,  and  it  silenced  even  the  Waldgrave.  As 
for  my  mistress,  I  well  remember  the  look  her  face  wore. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  95 

when  I  left  her  standing  with  her  women,  who  were  al- 
ready in  tears,  in  the  middle  of  the  small  chamber  assigned 
to  her.  I  had  known  her  long  enough  to  be  able  to  read 
the  look,  and  to  be  sure  that  she  was  wondering  whether 
it  would  always  be  so  now.  Had  she  exchanged  Heritz- 
burg,  its  peace  and  comfort,  for  such  nights  as  these, 
divided  between  secret  Sittings  and  lodgings  fit  only  for 
the  homeless  and  wretched? 

But  neither  by  word  nor  sign  did  she  betray  her  fears ; 
and  in  the  morning  she  showed  a  face  that  vied  with  the 
Waldgrave's  in  cheerfulness.  Our  horses  had  had  little 
exercise  of  late  and  were  in  poor  condition  for  travelling. 
We  gave  them,  therefore,  until  noon  to  rest,  and  a  little 
after  that  hour  got  away;  one  and  all,  I  think — with  the 
exception  perhaps  of  Marie  Wort  —  in  better  spirits.  The 
sun  was  high,  the  weather  fine,  the  country  on  either  side 
of  us  woodland,  with  fine  wild  prospects.  Hence  we  saw 
few  signs  of  the  ravages  which  were  sure  to  thrust  them- 
selves on  the  attention  wherever  man's  hand  appeared. 
We  could  forget  for  the  moment  war,  and  even  our  own 
troubles. 

We  proposed  to  reach  the  little  village  of  Erbe  by  sunset, 
but  darkness  overtook  us  on  the  road.  The  track,  over- 
grown and  narrowed  by  spring  shoots,  was  hard  to  follow 
in  daylight ;  to  attempt  to  pursue  it  after  nightfall  seemed 
hopeless.  We  had  halted,  therefore,  and  the  Waldgrave 
and  my  lady  were  considering  whether  we  should  camp 
where  we  were,  or  pick  our  way  to  a  more  sheltered  spot, 
when  young  Jacob,  who  was  leading,  cried  out  that  he  saw 
the  glimmer  of  a  camp-fire  some  way  off  among  the  trees. 
The  news  threw  our  party  into  the  greatest  doubt.  My 
lady  was  for  stopping  where  we  were,  the  Waldgrave  for 
going  on.  In  the  end  the  latter  had  his  way,  and  it  was 
agreed  that  we  should  join  the  company  before  us,  or  at 
any  rate  parley  with  them  and  learn  their  intentions. 
Accordingly  we  shook  up  our  tired  horses  and  moved 
cautiously  forward. 


96  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

The  distant  gleam  which  had  first  caught  Jacob's  eye 
soon  widened  into  a  warm  and  ruddy  glow,  in  which  the 
polished  beech-trunks  stood  up  like  the  pillars  of  some 
great  building.  Still  drawing  nearer,  we  saw  that  there 
were  two  fires  built  a  score  of  paces  apart,  in  a  slight 
hollow.  Round  the  one  a  number  of  men  were  moving, 
whose  black  figures  sometimes  intervened  between  us  and 
the  blaze.  Two  or  three  dogs  sprang  up  and  barked  at  us, 
and  a  horse  neighed  out  of  the  darkness  beyond.  The 
other  fire  seemed  at  first  sight  to  be  deserted  ;  but  as  the 
dogs  ran  towards  us,  still  barking,  first  one  man,  then 
another,  rose  beside  it,  and  stood  looking  at  us.  The 
arrival  of  a  second  party  in  such  a  spot  was  no  doubt 
unexpected. 

Judging  that  these  two  were  the  leaders  of  the  party,  I 
went  forward  to  announce  my  lady's  rank.  One  of  the 
men,  the  shorter  and  younger,  a  man  of  middle  height  and 
middle  age  and  dark,  stern  complexion,  came  a  few  paces 
to  meet  me. 

• '  Who  are  you  ? '  he  said  bluntly,  looking  neyond  me  at 
those  who  followed. 

'  The  Countess  Rotha  of  Heritzburg,  travelling  this  way 
to  Cassel,'  I  answered ;  '  and  with  her,  her  excellency's 
kinsman,  the  noble  Rupert,  Waldgrave  of  Weimar.' 

The  stranger's  face  lightened  strangely,  and  he  laughed. 
'Take  me  to  her,'  he  said. 

Properly  I  should  have  first  asked  him  his  name  and 
condition  ;  but  he  had  the  air,  beyond  all  things,  of  a  man 
not  to  be  trifled  with,  and  I  turned  with  him. 

My  lady  had  halted  with  her  company  a  score  of  paces 
from  the  fire.  I  led  him  to  her  bridle. 

'  This,'  I  said,  wondering  much  who  he  was,  '  is  her 
excellency  the  Countess  of  Heritzburg.' 

My  lady  looked  at  him.  He  had  uncovered  and  stood 
before  her,  a  smile  that  was  almost  a  laugh  in  his  eyes. 
'And  I,'  he  said,  'have  the  honour  to  be  her  excellency's 
humble  and  distant  cousin,  General  John  Tzerclas,  some- 
times called,  of  Tilly.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  97 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE   CAMP    IN   THE   FOKEST. 

As  the  stranger  made  his  announcement,  I  chanced  to  turn 
my  eyes  on  the  Waldgrave's  face ;  and  if  there  was  one 
thing  more  noteworthy  at  the  moment  than  the  speaker's 
air  of  perfect  and  assured  composure,  it  was  my  lord's 
look  of  chagrin.  I  could  imagine  that  this  sudden  aud 
unexpected  discovery  of  a  kinsman  was  little  to  his  mind ; 
while  the  stranger's  manner  was  as  little  calculated  to 
reconcile  him  to  it.  But  there  was  something  more  than 
this.  I  fancy  that  from  the  moment  he  heard  Tzerclas' 
name  he  scented  a  rival. 

My  lady,  on  the  other  hand,  did  not  disguise  her  satis- 
faction. 'I  am  pleased  to  make  your  acquaintance,'  she 
exclaimed,  looking  at  the  stranger  with  frank  surprise. 
'  Your  name,  General  Tzerclas,  has  long  been  known  to  me. 
But  I  was  under  the  impression  that  you  were  at  present 
in  command  of  a  body  of  Saxon  troops  in  Bohemia.' 

'My  troops,  such  as  they  are,  lie  a  little  nearer,'  he 
answered,  smiling  ;  '  so  near  that  they  and  their  leader  are 
equally  at  your  service,  Countess." 

'  For  the  present  I  shall  be  content  to  claim  your  hos- 
pitality only,'  my  lady  answered  lightly.  '  This  is  my 
cousin,  the  Waldgrave  Rupert.' 

'  Of  Weimar  ?  '  the  general  said,  bowing. 

'Of  Weimar,  sir,'  the  young  lord  answered. 

The  stranger  said  no  more,  but  saluting  him  with  a  kind 
of  careless  punctilio,  took  hold  of  my  lady's  rein  and  led 
her  horse  forward  into  the  firelight. 

While  he  assisted  her  to  dismount  I  had  time  to  glance 
round ;  and  the  cheerful  glow  of  the  fire,  which  disclosed 
arms  and  accoutrements  and  camp  equipments  flung  here 
and  there  in  splendid  profusion,  did  not  blind  me  to  other 

7 


98  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

appearances  less  pleasant.  Indeed,  that  very  profusion 
did  something  to  open  iny  eyes  to  those  appearances,  and 
thereby  to  the  nature  of  the  men  amongst  whom  we  had 
come.  The  glittering  hilts  and  battered  plate,  the  gaudy 
cloaks  and  velvet  housings  which  I  saw  lying  about  the 
roots  of  the  trees,  seemed  to  smack  less  of  a  travellers' 
camp  than  a  robbers'  bivouac;  while  the  fierce,  swarthy 
faces  which  clustered  round  the  farther  fire,  reminded  me 
of  nothing  so  much  as  of  the  swash-buckling  escort  which 
had  more  than  once  accompanied  Count  Tilly  to  Heritzburg. 
Then,  indeed,  under  the  old  tiger's  paw  Tilly's  riders  had 
been  as  lambs.  But  we  were  not  now  at  Heritzburg,  nor 
was  Count  Tilly  here.  And  whether  these  knaves  would 
be  as  amenable  in  the  greenwood,  whether  the  Waldgrave 
had  not  done  us  all  an  ill  service  when  he  voted  for  moving 
on,  were  questions  I  had  a  difficulty  in  answering  to  my 
satisfaction ;  the  more  as,  even  before  we  were  off  our 
horses,  the  rude  stare  the  men  fixed  on  my  lady  raised  my 
choler. 

On  the  other  hand  their  leader's  bearing  left  nothing  to 
be  desired.  He  welcomed  my  mistress  to  the  camp  with 
perfect  good  breeding,  the  Waldgrave  with  civility.  He 
hastened  the  preparation  of  supper,  and  in  every  way 
seemed  bent  on  making  us  comfortable  ;  sending  his  knaves 
to  and  fro  with  a  hearty  good-will,  which  showed  that  who- 
ever stood  in  awe  of  them,  he  did  not. 

Meanwhile,  I  had  a  third  fire  kindled  a  score  of  paces 
away,  where  a  small  thicket  held  out  the  hope  of  privacy, 
and  here  I  placed  our  women,  bidding  three  or  four  of 
the  steadier  men  remain  with  them.  The  injunction  was 
scarcely  needed  however.  Our  servants  were  simple  fel- 
lows born  in  Heritzburg.  They  eyed  with  shyness  and 
awe  the  swaggering  airs  and  warlike  demeanour  of  Tzerclas' 
followers,  and  would  not  for  a  year's  wages  have  intruded 
on  their  circle  without  invitation. 

The  moment  I  had  seen  to  this  I  returned  to  my  lady, 
and  then  for  the  first  time  I  had  an  opportunity  of  exanrin- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  99 

ing  our  host.  A  man  of  middle  height,  sinewy  and  well- 
formed,  with  an  upright  carriage,  he  looked  from  head  to 
foot  the  model  of  a  soldier  of  fortune,  and  moved  with  a 
careless  grace,  which  spoke  of  years  of  manly  exercise. 
His  face  was  handsome,  cold,  dark,  stern ;  the  nose  promi- 
nent, the  forehead  high  and  narrow.  Trimly  pointed  mous- 
tachios  and  a  small  pointed  beard,  both  perfectly  black, 
gave  him  a  peculiar  and  somewhat  cynical  aspect;  and 
nothing  I  ever  witnessed  of  his  dealings  with  his  troops 
led  me  to  suppose  that  this  belied  the  man.  He  could  be, 
as  he  was  now,  courteous,  polished,  almost  genial.  I  judged 
that  he  rcould  be  also  the  reverse.  He  was  richly,  even 
splendidly,  dressed,  and  seemed  to  be  about  forty  years 
of  age. 

My  lady  sent  me  for  Fraulein  Max,  who  had  been  over- 
looked, and  was  found  cowering  beside  the  newly  kindled 
fire  in  company  with  Marie  Wort  and  the  women.  Though 
I  think  she  had  only  herself  to  thank  for  her  effacement, 
she  was  inclined  to  be  offended.  But  I  had  no  time  to 
waste  on  words,  and  disregarding  her  ill  temper  I  brought 
her,  feebly  sniffing,  to  my  lady,  who  introduced  her  to  her 
new-found  kinsman. 

'  Pardon  me,'  he  said,  looking  negligently  round  him. 
'That  reminds  me.  I,  too,  have  a  presentation  to  make. 
Where  is  —  oh  yes,  here  is  friend  Von  Werder.  I  thought, 
my  friend,'  he  continued,  addressing  the  other  and  older 
man  whom  we  had  seen  by  his  fire,  'that  you  had  disap- 
peared as  mysteriously  as  you  came.  Herr  von  Werder, 
Countess,  was  my  first  chance  guest  to-night.  You  are 
the  second.' 

He  spoke  in  a  tone  of  easy  patronage,  with  his  back  half 
turned  to  the  person  he  mentioned.  I  looked  at  the  man. 
He  seemed  to  be  over  fifty  years  old,  tall,  strong,  and  grey- 
moustachioed.  And  that  was  almost  all  I  could  see,  for,  as 
if  acknowledging  an  inferiority,  and  admitting  that  the 
terms  on  which  he  had  been  with  his  host  were  now 
altered,  he  had  withdrawn  himself  a  pace  from  the  fire. 


loo  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

Sitting  on  the  opposite  side  of  it  near  the  outer  edge  of 
light  and  wearing  a  heavy  cloak,  he  disclosed  little  of  his 
appearance,  even  when  he  rose  in  acknowledgment  of  my 
lady's  salute. 

'  Herr  von  Werder  is  not  travelling  with  you,  then  ?  *  my 
lady  said ;  chiefly,  I  think,  for  the  sake  of  saying  some- 
thing that  should  include  the  man. 

'  No,  he  is  not  of  my  persuasion,'  the  general  answered  in 
the  same  tone  of  good-natured  contempt.  'Whither  are 
you  bound,  my  friend  ? '  he  continued,  glancing  over  his 
shoulder  and  throwing  a  note  of  command  into  his  voice. 
'I  did  not  ask  you,  and  you  did  not  tell  me.' 

'I  am  going  north,'  the  stranger  answered  in  a  husky 
tone.  'It  may  be  as  far  as  Magdeburg,  general.' 

'  And  you  come  from  ?  ' 

'Last,  sir?  Frankfort.' 

'  Well,  as  you  say  last,  whence  before  that  ? ' 

'  The  Rhine  Bishoprics.' 

'Ah!  Then  you  have  seen  something  of  the  war?  If 
you  were  there  before  it  swept  into  Bavaria,  that  is.  But  a 
truce  to  this,'  he  continued.  '  Here  is  supper.  I  beg  you 
not  to  judge  of  my  hospitality  by  this  night's  performance, 
Countess.  I  hope  to  entertain  you  more  fittingly  before  we 
part.' 

Though  he  made  this  apology,  the  supper  needed  none. 
Indeed,  it  was  such  as  made  me  stare  —  there  in  the  forest 
—  and  was  served  in  a  style  and  with  accompaniments  I 
little  expected  to  find  in  a  soldiers'  camp.  Silver  dishes 
and  chased  and  curious  flagons,  flasks  of  old  Rhenish  and 
Burgundy,  glass  from  Nuremberg,  a  dozen  things  which 
made  my  lady's  road  equipage  seem  poor  and  trifling, 
appeared  on  the  board.  And  the  cooking  was  equal  to  the 
serving.  The  wine  had  not  gone  round  many  times  before 
the  Waldgrave  lost  his  air  of  reserve.  He  complimented 
our  host,  expressed  his  surprise  at  the  excellence  of  the 
entertainment,  asked  with  a  laugh  how  it  was  done,  and 
completely  resumed  his  usual  manner.  Perhaps  he  talked  a 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  101 

little  too  freely,  a  little  too  fast,  and  viewed  by  the  other's 
side,  he  grew  younger. 

What  my  lady  saw  or  thought  as  she  sat  between  the  two 
men  it  was  impossible  to  say,  but  she  seemed  in  high 
spirits.  She  too  talked  gaily  and  laughed  often ;  and 
doubtless  the  novelty  of  the  scene,  the  great  fires,  the 
dark  background,  the  burnished  trunks  of  the  beeches,  the 
bizarre  splendour  of  the  feast,  the  laughter  and  snatches  of 
song  which  came  from  the  other  fire,  were  well  calculated 
to  excite  and  amuse  her. 

'  These  are  not  all  your  troops  ? '  I  heard  her  ask. 

'Not  quite,'  the  general  answered  drily.  'My  men  lie 
six  hours  south  of  us.  I  hope  that  you  will  do  me  the 
honour  of  reviewing  them  to-morrow.' 

'  You  are  marching  south,  then  ?  ' 

'  Yes.     Everything  and  every  one  goes  south  this  year.' 

'  To  join  the  King  of  Sweden  ?  ' 

'  Yes,'  the  general  answered,  holding  out  his  silver  cup  to  be 
filled,  and  for  that  reason  perhaps  speaking  very  deliber- 
ately, '  to  join  the  King  of  Sweden  —  at  Nuremberg.  But 
you  have  not  yet  told  me,  countess,'  he  continued,  '  why  you 
are  afield.  This  part  is  not  in  a  very  settled  state,  and  I 
should  have  thought  that  the  present  time  was ' 

'  A  bad  one  for  travelling  ? '  my  lady  answered.  '  Yes. 
But,  I  regret  to  say,  Heritzburg  is  not  in  a  very  settled  state 
either.'  And  thereon,  without  dwelling  much  on  the  cause 
of  her  troubles,  she  told  him  the  main  facts  which  had  led 
to  her  departure. 

I  saw  his  lip  curl  and  his  eyes  flicker  with  scorn.  '  But  had 
you  no  gunpowder  ? '  he  said,  turning  to  the  Waldgrave. 

'  We  had,  but  no  cannon,'  he  answered  confidently. 

1  What  of  that  ? '  the  general  retorted  icily.  '  I  would 
have  made  a  bomb,  no  matter  of  what,  and  tired  it  out  of  a 
leather  boot  hooped  with  cask-irons !  I  would  have  had 
half  a  dozen  of  their  houses  burning  about  their  ears  before 
they  knew  where  they  were,  the  insolents ! ' 

The  Waldgrave  looked  ashamed  of  himself.     '  I  did  not 


102  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

think  of  that,'  he  said;  and  he  hastened  to  hide  his 
confusion  in  his  glass. 

'Well,  it  is  not  too  late,'  General  Tzerclas  rejoined, 
showing  his  teeth  in  a  smile.  '  If  the  Countess  pleases,  we 
will  soon  teach  her  subjects  a  lesson.  I  am  not  pushed  for 
time.  I  will  detach  four  troops  of  horse  and  return  with 
you  to-morrow,  and  settle  the  matter  in  a  trice.' 

But  my  lady  said  that  she  would  not  have  that,  and  per- 
sisted so  firmly  in  her  refusal  that  though  he  pressed  the 
offer  upon  her,  and  I  could  see  was  keenly  interested  in  its 
acceptance,  he  had  to  give  way.  The  reasons  she  put  for- 
ward were  the  loss  of  his  time  and  the  injury  to  his  cause  ; 
the  real  one  consisted,  I  knew,  in  her  merciful  reluctance 
to  give  over  the  town  to  his  troops,  a  reluctance  for  which 
I  honoured  her.  To  appease  him,  however,  for  he  seemed 
inclined  to  take  her  refusal  in  bad  part,  she  consented  to  go 
out  of  her  way  to  visit  his  camp. 

At  this  point  my  lady  sent  me  on  an  errand  to  her 
women,  which  caused  me  to  be  away  some  minutes.  When 
I  came  back  I  found  that  a  change  had  taken  place.  The 
Waldgrave  was  speaking,  and,  from  his  heated  face  and  the 
tone  of  his  voice,  it  was  evident  that  the  old  wine  which 
had  begun  by  opening  his  heart  had  ended  by  rousing  his 
pugnacity. 

'  Pooh  !  I  protest  in  toto ! '  he  said  as  I  came  up.  '  I 
deny  it  altogether.  You  will  tell  me  next  that  the 
Germans  are  worse  soldiers  than  the  Swedes ! ' 

'Pardon  me,  I  did  not  say  so,'  General  Tzerclas  answered. 
The  wine  had  taken  no  effect  on  him,  or  perhaps  he  had 
drunk  less.  He  was  as  suave  and  cold  as  ever. 

'  But  you  meant  it ! '  the  younger  man  retorted. 

'No,  I  did  not  mean  it,'  the  general  answered,  still 
unmoved.  '  What  I  said  was  that  Germany  had  produced 
no  great  commander  in  this  war,  which  has  now  lasted 
thirteen  years.' 

'  Prince  Bernard  of  Weimar,  my  kinsman ! '  the  Wald- 
grave cried. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A,  103 

*  Pardon   me/   Tzerclas   replied    politely.      '  Pardon  me 
again  if  I  say  that  I  do  not  think  he  has  earned  that  title. 
He  is  a  soldier  of  merit.     No  more.' 

'  Wallenstein,  then  ? ' 
•     '  You  forget.     He  is  a  Bohemian.' 
<  Count  Tilly,  then  ? ' 

*  A  Walloon/  the  general  answered  with  a  shrug.     '  The 
King  of  Sweden  ?     A  Swede,  of  course.' 

'  A  German  by  the  mother's  side/  my  lady  said  with  a 
smile. 

'As  you,  Countess,  are  a  Walloon/  Tzerclas  answered 
with  a  low  bow.  'Yet  doubtless  you  count  yourself  a 
German  ? ' 

1  Yes/  she  said,  blushing.     '  I  am  proud  to  do  so.' 

What  courteous  answer  he  would  have  made  to  this  I 
do  not  know.  She  had  scarcely  spoken  before  a  deep  voice 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  fire  was  heard  to  ask  '  What  of 
Count  Pappenheim  ? ' 

The  speaker  was  Von  Werder,  who  had  long  sat  so 
modestly  silent  that  I  had  forgotten  his  presence.  He 
seemed  scarcely  to  belong  to  the  party  ;  though  Fraulein 
Max,  who  sat  on  the  Waldgrave's  left  hand,  formed  a  sort 
of  link  stretched  out  towards  him.  Tzerclas  had  forgotten 
him  too,  I  think,  for  he  started  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  and 
gave  him  but  a  curt  answer. 

'  He  is  no  general/  he  said  sharply.  '  A  great  leader  of 
horse  he  is  ;  great  at  fighting,  great  at  burning,  greatest  at 
plundering.  No  more.' 

'  It  seems  that  you  allow  no  merit  in  a  German ! '  the 
Waldgrave  cried  with  a  sneer.  He  had  drunk  too  much. 

But  Tzerclas  was  not'  to  be  moved.  There  was  some-, 
thing  fine  in  the  toleration  he  extended  to  the  younger 
man.  ( Not  at  all/  he  said  quietly.  '  Yet  I  am  of  opinion 
that,  even  apart  from  arms,  Germany  has  shown  since  the 
beginning  of  this  war  few  men  of  merit.' 

'  The  Duke  of  Bavaria/  the  same  deep  voice  beyond  the 
fire  suggested. 


104  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

1  Maximilian  ?  '  Tzerclas  answered.  This  time  he  did 
not  seem  to  resent  the  stranger's  interference.  '  Yes,  he  is 
something  of  a  statesman.  You  are  right,  my  friend.  He 
and  Leuchtenstein,  the  Landgrave's  minister  —  he  too  is  a 
man.  I  will  give  you  those  two.  But  even  they  play 
second  parts.  The  fate  of  Germany  lies  in  no  German 
hands.  It  lies  in  the  hands  of  Gustavus  Adolphus  and 
Oxenstierna,  Swedes;  of  Wallenstein,  a  Bohemian;  of  — 
I  know  not  who  will  be  the  next  foreigner.' 

'  That  is  all  very  well ;  but  you  are  a  foreigner  yourself,' 
the  Waldgrave  cried. 

'Yes,  I  am  a  Walloon,'  Tzerclas  said,  still  quietly, 
though  this  time  I  saw  his  eyes  flicker.  '  It  is  true  ;  why 
should  I  deny  it  ?  You  represent  the  native,  and  I  the 
foreign  element.  The  Countess  stands  between  us,  repre- 
senting both.' 

The  Waldgrave  rose  with  an  oath  and  a  flushed  face,  and 
for  a  moment  I  thought  that  we  were  going  to  have  trouble. 
But  he  remembered  himself  in  time,  and  sitting  down  again 
in  silence,  gazed  sulkily  at  the  fire. 

The  movement,  however,  was  enough  for  my  lady.  She 
rose  to  her  feet  to  break  up  the  party ;  and  turning  her 
shoulder  to  the  offender;  began  to  thank  General  Tzerclas 
for  his  entertainment.  This  made  the  Waldgrave,  who  was 
compelled  to  stand  oy  and  listen,  look  more  sulky  than 
ever;  but  she  continued  to  take  no  notice  of  him,  and 
though  he  remained  awkwardly  regarding  her  and  waiting 
for  a  word,  as  long  as  she  stood,  she  went  away  without 
once  turning  her  eyes  on  him.  The  general  snatched  a 
torch  from  me  and  lighted  her  with  his  own  hand  to  our 
part  of  the  camp,  where  he  took  a  respectful  leave  of  her  ; 
adding,  as  he  withdrew,  that  he  would  march  at  any  hour 
in  the  morning  that  might  suit  her,  and  that  in  ail  things 
she  might  command  his  servants  and  himself. 

He  had  sent  over  for  her  use  a  small  tent,  provided 
originally,  no  doubt,  for  his  own  sleeping  quarters  ;  and  we 
found  that  in  a  hundred  other  ways  he  had  shown  himself 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  105 

thoughtful  for  her  comfort.  She  stood  a  moment  looking 
about  her  with  satisfaction ;  and  when  she  turned  to  dis- 
miss me,  there  was,  or  I  was  mistaken,  a  gleam  of  amuse- 
ment in  her  eye.  After  all,  she  was  a  woman. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

STOLEN  I 

THE  night  was  still  young,  and  when  I  had  seen  my  mis- 
tress and  her  women  comfortably  settled,  I  sauntered  back 
towards  the  middle  of  the  camp.  The  three  fires  stood 
here,  and  there,  and  there,  among  the  trees,  like  the  feet  of 
a  three-legged  stool ;  while  between  them  lay  a  middle 
space  which  partook  of  the  light  of  all,  and  yet  remained 
shadowy  and  ill-defined.  A  single  beech  which  stood  in 
this  space,  and  served  in  some  degree  to  screen  our  fire 
from  observation,  added  to  the  darkness  of  the  borderland. 
At  times  the  flames  blazed  up,  disclosing  trunk  and 
branches;  again  they  waned,  and  only  a  shadowy  mass 
filled  the  middle  space. 

I  went  and  stood  under  this  tree  and  looked  about  me. 
The  Waldgrave  had  disappeared,  probably  to  his  couch. 
So  had  Von  Werder.  Only  General  Tzerclas  remained 
beside  the  fire  at  which  we  had  supped,  and  he  no  longer 
sat  erect.  Covered  with  a  great  cloak  he  lay  at  his  ease  on 
a  pile  of  furs,  reading  by  the  light  of  the  fire  in  a  small  fat 
book,  which  even  at  that  distance  I  could  see  was  thumbed 
and  dog's-eared.  Such  an  employment  in  such  a  man  — 
in  huge  contrast  with  the  noisy  brawling  and  laughter  of 
his  following  —  struck  me  as  remarkable.  I  felt  a  great 
curiosity  to  know  what  he  was  studying,  and  in  particular 
whether  it  was  the  Bible.  But  the  distance  between  us 
was  too  great  and  the  light  too  uncertain ;  and  after  strain-' 
ing  my  eyes  awhile  I  gave  up  the  attempt,  consoling  myself 


io6  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

with  the  thought  that  had  I  been  nearer  I  had  perhaps 
been  no  wiser. 

I  was  about  to  withdraw,  tolerably  satisfied,  to  seek  my 
own  rest,  when  a  stick  snapped  sharply  behind  me.  Un- 
willing to  be  caught  spying,  I  turned  quickly  and  found 
myself  face  to  face  with  a  tall  figure,  which  had  come  up 
noiselessly  behind  me.  The  unknown  was  so  close  to  me, 
I  recoiled  in  alarm  ;  but  the  next  moment  he  lowered  his 
cloak  from  his  face,  and  I  saw  that  it  was  Von  Werder. 

1  Hush,  man  ! '  he  said,  raising  his  hand  to  enforce  cau- 
tion. '  A  word  with  you.  Come  this  way.' 

He  gave  me  no  time  to  demur  or  ask  questions,  but  taking 
obedience  for  granted,  turned  and  led  the  way  down  a  nar- 
row path,  proceeding  steadily  onwards  until  the  glare  of 
the  fire  sank  into  a  distant  gleam  behind  us.  Then  he 
stopped  suddenly  and  faced  me,  but  the  darkness  in  which 
we  stood  among  the  tree-trunks  still  prevented  me  seeing 
his  features,  and  gave  to  the  whole  interview  an  air  of 
mystery. 

'You  are  the  Countess  of  Heritzburg's  steward  ?  '  he  said 
abruptly. 

*  I  am,'  I  answered,  wondering  at  the  change  in  his  tone, 
which,  deep  before,  had  become  on  a  sudden  imperative. 
By  the  fire  and  in  Tzerclas'  company  he  had  spoken  with  a 
kind  of  diffidence,  an  air  of  acknowledged  inferiority.  Not 
a  trace  of  that  remained. 

'The  Waldgrave  Rupert/  he  continued  —  'he  is  a  new 
acquaintance  ? ' 

'  He  is  not  an  old  friend,'  I  replied.  I  could  not  think 
what  he  would  be  at  with  his  questions.  All  my  instincts 
were  on  the  side  of  refusing  to  answer  them.  But  his 
manner  imposed  upon  me,  though  his  figure  and  face 
were  hidden;  and  though  I  wondered,  I  answered. 

'He  is  young,'  he  said,  as  if  to  himself. 

'Yes,  he  is  young,'  I  answered  dryly.  'He  will  grow 
older.' 

He  remained  silent  a  moment,  apparently  in  thought 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  107 

Then  he  spoke  suddenly  and  bluntly.  *  You  are  an  honest 
man,  I  believe/  he  said.  '  I  watched  you  at  supper,  and  I 
think  I  can  trust  you.  I  will  be  plain  with  you.  Your 
mistress  had  better  have  stayed  at  Heritzburg,  steward.' 

'  It  is  possible,'  I  said.  I  was  more  than  half  inclined 
to  think  so  myself. 

'  She  has  come  abroad,  however.  That  being  so,  the 
sooner  she  is  in  Cassel,  the  better.' 

'We  are  going  thither,'  I  answered. 

'  You  were  ! '  he  replied ;  and  the  meaning  in  his  voice 
gave  me  a  start.  '  You  were,  I  say  ?  '  he  continued  strenu- 
ously. 'Whither  you  are  going  now  will  depend,  unless 
you  exert  yourself  and  are  careful,  on  General  John  Tzer- 
clas  of  the  Saxon  service.  You  visit  his  camp  to-morrow. 
Take  a  hint.  Get  your  mistress  out  of  it  and  inside  the 
walls  of  Cassel  as  soon  as  you  can.' 

'  Why  ?  '  I  said  stubbornly.  '  Why  ? '  For  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  was  being  asked  all  and  told  nothing.  The  man's  vague 
warnings  chimed  in  with  my  own  fears,  and  yet  I  resented 
them  coming  from  a  stranger.  I  tried  to  pierce  the  dark- 
ness, to  read  his  face,  to  solve  the  mystery  of  his  altered 
tone.  But  the  night  baffled  me  ;  I  could  see  nothing  save  a 
tall,  dark  form,  and  I  fell  back  upon  words  and  obstruction. 
'Why?'  I  asked  jealously.  'He  is  my  lady's  cousin.' 

'  After  a  fashion,'  the  stranger  rejoined  coldly  and  slowly, 
and  not  at  all  as  if  he  meant  to  argue  with  me.  '  I  should 
be  better  content,  man,  if  he  were  her  uncle.  However,  I 
have  said  enough.  Do  you  bear  it  in  mind,  and  as  you  are 
faithful,  be  wary.  So  much  for  that.  And  now,'  he  con- 
tinued, in  a  different  tone,  a  tone  in  which  a  note  of 
anxiety  lurked  whether  he  would  or  no,  'I  have  a  ques- 
tion to  ask  on  my  own  account,  friend.  Have  you  heard  at 
any  time  within  the  last  twelve  months  of  a  lost  child 
being  picked  up  to  the  north  of  this,  in  Heritzburg  or  the 
neighbourhood  ?  ' 

'  A  lost  child  ?  '  I  repeated  in  astonishment. 

'Yes!'  he  retorted  impatiently.    And  I  felt,  though  I 


lo8  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

could  not  see,  that  he  was  peering  at  me  as  I  had  lately 
peered  at  him.  '  Isn't  that  plain  German  ?  A  lost  child, 
man  ?  There  is  nothing  hard  to  understand  in  it.  Such  a 
thing  has  been  heard  of  before  —  and  found,  I  suppose.  A 
little  boy,  two  years  old.' 

*  No,'  I  said,  <  I  have  heard  nothing  of  one.    A  child  two 
years   old  ?     Why,   it  could  not  go  alone ;   it  could  not 
walk ! ' 

In  the  darkness,  which  is  a  wonderful  sharpener  of  ears, 
I  heard  the  man  move  hastily.  '  No,'  he  said  with  a  stern 
note  in  his  voice,  '  I  suppose  not ;  I  suppose  it  could  not. 
At  any  rate,  you  have  not  heard  of  it  ? ' 

'  No,'  I  said,  '  certainly  not.' 

'If  it  had  been  found  Heritzburg  way,'  he  continued 
jealously,  '  you  would  have,  I  suppose  ?  ' 

'  I  should  have  —  if  any  one,'  I  answered. 

'  Thank  you/  he  said  curtly.  '  That  is  all  now.  Good 
night.' 

And  suddenly,  with  that  only,  and  no  warning  or  further 
farewell,  he  turned  and  strode  off.  I  heard  him  go  plunging 
through  the  last  year's  leaves,  and  the  noise  told  me  that  he 
trod  them  sternly  and  heavily,  with  the  foot  of  a  man  dis- 
appointed, and  not  for  the  first  time. 

*  It  must  be  his  child,'  I  thought,  looking  after  him. 

I  waited  until  the  last  sound  of  his  retreat  had  died 
away,  and  then  I  made  my  own  way  back  to  the  camp.  As 
chance  would  have  it,  I  hit  it  close  to  the  servants'  fire,  and 
before  I  could  turn  was  espied  by  some  of  those  who  sat  at  it. 
One,  a  stout,  swarthy  fellow,  with  bright  black  eyes,  and  a 
small  feather  in  his  cap,  sprang  up  and  came  towards  me. 

1  Why  so  shy,  comrade  ?  '  he  cried,  with  a  hiccough  in  his 
voice.  'Himmel !  There  are  a  pair  of  us  ! '  And  he  raised 
his  hand  and  laid  it  on  my  head  —  with  an  effort,  for  I  am 
six  feet  and  two  inches.  '  Peace  ! '  and  he  touched  me  on  the 
breast.  '  War ! '  and  he  touched  himself.  '  And  a  good  broad 
piece  you  are,  and  a  big  piece,  and  a  heavy  piece,  I'll  war- 
rant ! '  he  continued. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  109 

'  I  might  say  the  same  for  you ! '  I  retorted,  suffering  him 
to  lead  me  to  the  fire. 

(0h,  I?'  he  cried  with  a  drunken  swagger.  'I  am  a 
double  gold  ducat,  true  metal,  stamped  with  the  Emperor's 
man-at-arms  !  Melted  in  the  Low  Countries  under  Spinola 
—  that  is,  these  thirteen  years  back — minted  by  Wallen- 
stein,  tried  by  the  noble  general ! 

"Clink!  Clink!  Clink! 

Sword  and  stirrup  and  spur. 
Ride!  Ride!  Ride! 

Fast  as  feather  or  fur!  " 

That  is  my  sort !  But  come,  welcome  !  Will  you  drink  ? 
Will  you  play  ?  Will  you  'list  ?  Come,  the  night  is 
young, 

"  For  the  night-sky  is  red, 
And  the  burgher's  abed, 
And  bold  Pappeuheim's  raiding  the  lea!  " 

Which  shall  it  be,  friend  ?  ' 

'  I  will  drink  with  you  or  play  with  you,  captain,'  I 
answered,  seeing  nothing  else  for  it,  '  so  far  as  a  poor  man 
may ;  but  as  for  enlisting,  I  am  satisfied  with  my  present 
service.' 

'  Ha !  ha !  I  can  quite  understand  that ! '  he  answered, 
winking  tipsily.  '  Woman,  lovely  woman !  Here's  to  her  ! 
Here's  to  her  !  Here's  to  her,  lads  of  the  free  company ! 

"  Drink,  lads,  drink! 

Firkin  and  flagon  and  flask. 
Hands,  lads,  hands! 
A  round  to  the  maid  in  the  mask! " 

Why,  man,  you  look  like  a  death's  head !  You  are  too 
sober  !  Shame  on  you,  and  you  a  German  ! ' 

'  An  Italian  were  as  good  a  toper  ! '  one  of  the  men  beside 
him  growled. 

'Or  a  whey-fed  Switzer ! ' 

'  Perhaps  you  are  better  with  the  dice  ! '  the  captain,  in- 


no  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

tendant,  or  what  he  was,  continued.     'You  will  throw  a- 
main  ?     Come,  for  the  honour  of  your  mistress  ! ' 

I  had  nearly  a  score  of  ducats  of  my  own  in  iny  pouch, 
and  so  far  I  could  pay  if  I  lost.  I  thought  that  I  might 
get  some  clue  to  Tzerclas'  nature  and  plans  by  humouring 
the  man,  and  I  assented. 

'  The  dice,  lads,  the  dice  ! '  he  cried.  Ludwig,  the  others 
called  him. 

« "  Ho,  the  roof  shall  be  red 
O'er  the  heretic's  head, 
For  bold  Pappenheim's  raiding  the  leal  " 

The  dice,  the  dice  ! ' 

*  Your  guest  looks  scared/  one  said,  looking  at  me  grimly. 
'  Perhaps  he  is  a  heretic  ! ' 

'  Chut !  we  are  all  heretics  for  the  present !  '  Ludwig 
answered  recklessly.  '  A  fig  for  a  credo  and  a  fig  for  a 
psalm !  Give  me  a  good  horse  and  a  good  sword  and  fat 
farmhouses.  I  ask  no  move.  Shall  it  be  a  short  life  and  a 
merry  one  ?  The  highest  to  have  it  ? ' 

1  Content,'  I  said,  trying  to  fall  into  his  humour. 

'  A  ducat  a  throw  ? '  he  asked,  posing  the  caster.  A  man, 
as  he  spoke,  placed  a  saddle  between  us,  while  half  a  dozen 
others  pressed  round  to  watch  us.  The  flame  leaping  up 
shone  on  their  dark,  lean  faces  and  gleaming  eyes,  or  picked 
out  here  and  there  the  haft  of  a  knife  or  the  butt  of  a 
pistol.  Some  wore  steel  caps,  some  caps  of  fur,  some 
gaudy  handkerchiefs  twisted  round  their  heads.  There  were 
Spaniards,  Bohemians,  Walloons  among  them  ;  a  Croat  or 
two  ;  a  few  Saxons.  'Come,'  cried  the  captain,  rattling  the 
dice-box.  '  A  ducat  a  throw,  Master  Peace  ?  Between 
gentlemen  ? ' 

'Content,'  I  said,  though  my  heart  beat  fast.  T  had  never 
even  seen  men  play  so  high. 

'  So  ! '  growled  a  German  who  crouched  beside  me  —  a 
one-eyed  man,  fat  and  fair,  the  one  fair-faced  man  in  the 
company  ;  ''tis  a  cock  of  a  fine  hackle  ! ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  iij 

'See  me  strip  him!'  Captain  Ludwig  rejoined  gleefully. 
And  he  threw  and  I  threw,  and  I  won ;  while  the  flame, 
leaping  and  sinking,  flung  its  ruddy  light  on  the  walls  of 
our  huge,  leafy  chamber.  Then  he  won.  Then  I  won.  I 
won  again,  again,  again  ! 

'  He  has  the  fiend's  own  luck ! '  a  Pole  cried  with  a  curse. 

'Steady,  Ludwig!'  quoth  another.  'Will  you  be  beaten 
by  a  clod-pate  ? ' 

'  Fill  his  cup ! '  my  opponent  cried  hardily.  '  He  has  the 
knack  of  it !  But  I  will  strip  him  !  Beat  up  the  fire  there! 
I  can't  see  the  spots.  That  is  nine  ducats  you  have  won, 
good  broad-piece  !  Throw  away  ! ' 

I  threw,  and  at  it  we  went  again,  but  now  luck  began  to 
run  against  me,  though  slowly.  The  hollow  rattle  of  the 
dice,  the  voices  calling  the  numbers,  the  oath  and  the  cry  of 
triumph  went  on  monotonously :  went  on  —  and  I  think  the 
spirit  of  play  had  fairly  got  hold  of  me  —  when  a  stern  voice 
suddenly  broke  in  on  our  game. 

'  Put  up,  there,  you  rascals ! '  Tzerclas  cried  from  his 
fire.  '  Have  done,  do  you  hear,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for 
you  !  Kennel,  I  say  ! ' 

Captain  Ludwig  swore  under  his  breath.  '  Ugh ! '  he 
muttered,  '  just  as  I  was  getting  my  hand  in  !  What  is  the 
score  ?  Seven  ducats  to  me ;  and  little  enough  for  the 
trouble.  Hand  over,  comrade.  You  know  the  proverb.' 

Tn  haste  to  be  gone  after  the  warning  we  had  received,  I 
plunged  my  hand  into  my  pouch,  and  drew  out  in  a  hurry, 
not  a  fistful  of  ducats  as  I  intended,  but  a  score  of  links  of 
gold  chain,  which  for  a  moment  glittered  in  the  firelight. 
As  quickly  as  I  could  I  thrust  the  chain — it  was  Marie 
Wort's,  of  course  —  back  into  my  pocket,  but  not  before  the 
German  sitting  beside  me  had  seen  it.  I  looked  at  him 
guiltily  while  I  fumbled  for  the  money,  and  he  tried  to  look 
as  if  he  had  seen  nothing.  But  his  one  eye  sparkled  evilly, 
and  I  saw  his  lips  tremble  with  greed.  He  made  no 
remark,  however,  and  in  a  moment  I  found  the  money  and 
paid  my  debt. 


112  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

Most  of  the  men  had  already  laid  themselves  down  and 
were  snoring,  with  their  feet  to  the  fire.  I  muttered  good 
night,  and  seizing  my  cap  went  off.  To  gain  my  quarters, 
I  had  to  walk  across  the  open  under  the  beech-tree.  I  had 
just  reached  this  tree,  and  was  passing  through  the  shadow 
under  the  branches,  when  the  sound  of  a  light  footstep  at 
my  heels  startled  me,  and  turning  in  my  tracks  I  surprised 
the  one-eyed  German. 

'  Well,'  I  said  wrathfully  —  I  was  not  in  the  best  of 
tempers  at  losing  — '  what  do  you  want  ?  ' 

The  action  and  the  challenge  took  him  aback.  '  Want  ? ' 
he  grumbled,  recoiling  a  step.  'Nothing.  Is  this  your 
private  property  ? ' 

He  had  thief  written  all  over  his  fat,  pale  face,  and  I 
knew  very  well  what  private  property  he  wanted.  If  I 
ever  saw  a  sneaking,  hang-dog  visage  it  was  his!  The 
more  I  looked  at  him  the  more  I  loathed  him. 

'  Go ! '  I  said  ;  'get  home,  you  cur!  or  I  will  break  every 
bone  in  your  body.' 

He  glared  at  me  with  a  curse  in  his  one  eye,  but  he  saw 
that  I  was  too  big  for  him.  Besides,  General  Tzerclas  lay 
reading  by  his  fire  thirty  paces  away.  Baffled  and  furious, 
the  rascal  slunk  off  with  a  muttered  word,  and  went  back 
the  way  he  had  come. 

I  found  Ernst  on  guard,  and  after  seeing  to  the  fire  and 
hearing  that  all  was  well,  I  lay  down  beside  him  in  my 
cloak.  But  I  found  it  less  easy  to  sleep.  The  firelight, 
playing  among  the  leaves  and  branches  overhead,  formed 
likenesses  of  the  men  I  had  left,  now  grotesque  masks,  and 
now  scowling  faces,  fierce-eyed  and  grim.  Von  Werder's 
warning,  too,  recurred  to  me  with  added  weight  and  would 
not  leave  me  at  peace.  I  wondered  what  he  meant ;  I  won- 
dered what  he  suspected,  still  more,  what  he  knew. 

And  yet  had  I  need  to  wonder,  or  do  more  than  look 
round  and  use  my  wits  ?  What  was  our  position  ?  How 
were  we  situate  ?  In  the  camp  and  in  the  hands  of  a  soldier 
of  fortune ;  a  man  cold  and  polite,  probably  cruel  and  pos- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  113 

sibly  brutal,  lacking  enthusiasm,  lacking,  or  I  was  mis- 
taken, religion,  without  any  check  save  such  as  his  ambition 
or  fears  imposed  upon  him.  And  for  his  power,  I  saw  him 
surrounded  by  desperadoes,  soldiers  in  name,  banditti  in 
fact,  savage,  reckless,  and  unscrupulous ;  the  men,  or  the 
twin-brothers  of  the  men,  who  under  another  banner  had 
sacked  Magdeburg  and  ravaged  Halle. 

What  was  to  prevent  such  a  man  making  his  advantage 
out  of  us  ?  What  was  to  prevent  him  marching  back  to 
Heritzburg  and  seizing  town  and  castle  under  cover  of  my 
lady's  name,  or  detaining  us  as  long  as  he  saw  fit,  or  as 
suited  his  purpose  ?  The  Landgrave  and  his  Minister  were 
far  away,  plunged  in  the  turmoil  of  a  great  war.  The 
Emperor's  authority  was  at  an  end.  The  Saxon  circle  to 
which  we  belonged  was  disorganized.  All  law,  all  order, 
all  administration  outside  the  walls  of  the  cities  were  in 
abeyance.  In  his  own  camp  and  as  far  beyond  it  as  his 
sword  could  reach  the  soldier  of  fortune  was  lord,  absolute 
and  uncontrolled. 

This  trouble  kept  me  turning  and  tossing  for  a  good  hour. 
At  one  moment,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  rouse  my  lady 
before  it  was  light  and  be  gone  with  the  dawn,  if  I  could 
persuade  her ;  at  another,  I  judged  it  better  to  wait  until 
the  camp  was  struck  and  the  horses  were  saddled,  and  then 
to  bid  Tzerclas,  while  our  numbers  were  something  like 
equal,  go  his  way  and  let  us  go  ours  —  to  Frankfort  or 
Cassel,  or  wherever  strong  walls  and  honest  citizens,  with 
wives  and  daughters  of  their  own,  held  out  a  prospect  of 
safety. 

The  mind  once  roused  to  activity  works,  whether  a  man 
will  or  no.  When  I  had  thought  that  matter  threadbare, 
I  fell,  in  my  own  despite  and  to  my  great  torment,  on 
another;  the  gold  necklace.  Through  the  day,  and  pend- 
ing some  opportunity  of  restoring  the  chain  by  stealth,  I 
had  shunned  its  owner.  Her  dejection,  her  silence,  the 
way  in  which  she  drooped  in  the  saddle,  all  had  reproached 
me.  To  avoid  that  reproach,  still  more  to  avoid  the  meek- 

8 


H4  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

ness  of  her  eyes,  I  had  ridden  at  a  distance  from  her,  some- 
times at  the  head  of  our  company,  sometimes  at  the  tail, 
but  never  where  she  rode.  And  all  day  I  had  had  a  dozen 
things  to  consider. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  this  care  and  preoccupation,  I  had  not 
succeeded  in  keeping  her  out  of  my  mind.  At  fords  and 
broken  bits  of  the  road,  or  at  steep  places  where  the 
track  wound  above  the  Werra,  the  thought,  '  How  will  she 
cross  this  ? '  had  occurred  to  me,  so  that  I  had  found  it 
hard  to  hold  off  from  her  at  such  places.  And,  then,  there 
was  the  necklace.  It  burned  in  my  pocket.  It  made  me 
feel,  whenever  my  hand  lighted  on  it,  like  a  thief,  and  as 
mean  as  the  meanest.  For  a  time,  it  is  true,  after  our  meet- 
ing with  Tzerclas,  I  had  managed  to  forget  it ;  but  now,  in 
the  watches  of  the  night,  I  was  consumed  with  longing  to 
be  rid  of  the  thing,  to  see  it  back  in  her  possession,  to  close 
the  matter  before  some  inconceivable  trick  of  spiteful  for- 
tune put  it  out  of  my  power  to  do  so.  For,  what  if  an 
accident  happened  to  me  and  the  chain  were  found  in  my 
pocket  ?  What  would  she  think  of  me  then  ?  Or  if  the 
last  accident  of  all  befell  me,  and  she  never  got  her  own  ? 

These  imaginations,  working  in  a  mind  already  fevered, 
spurred  me  so  painfully  that  I  felt  I  could  hardly  wait  till 
morning.  Two  or  three  times  in  the  night  I  rose  on  my 
elbow  and  looked  round  the  sleeping  camp,  and  wished  that 
I  could  return  the  chain  to  her  then  and  there. 

I  could  not.  And  at  last,  not  long  before  daybreak,  I  fell 
asleep.  But  even  then  the  chain  did  not  leave  me  at  peace. 
It  haunted  my  dreams.  It  slid  through  my  fingers  and 
fell  away  into  unfathomable  depths.  Or  a  man  with  his 
face  hidden  dangled  it  before  my  eyes,  and  went  away,  away, 
away,  while  I  stood  unable  to  move  hand  or  foot.  Or  I  was 
digging  in  a  pit  for  it,  digging  with  nails  and  bleeding 
fingers,  believing  it  to  be  another  inch,  always  another 
inch  below,  yet  never  able  to  reach  it  however  hard  I 
worked. 

I  awoke  at  last,  bathed  in  perspiration  and  unrefreshed, 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  115 

to  find  the  sun  an  hour  up  and  the  camp  beginning  to  stir 
itself.  Here  and  there  a  man  was  renewing  the  fires,  while 
his  fellows  sat  up  yawning,  or,  crouching  chin  and  knees 
together,  looked  on  drowsily.  The  chill  morning  air,  the 
curling  smoke,  the  song  of  the  lark  as  it  soared  into  the 
blue  heaven,  the  snort  and  neigh  of  the  tethered  horses, 
the  sounds  of  waking  life  and  reality  seemed  to  bless  me. 
I  thanked  Heaven  it  was  a  dream. 

Young  Jacob  was  tending  our  fire,  and  I  sat  awhile, 
watching  him  sleepily.  '  It  will  be  a  fine  day,'  I  said  at 
last,  preparing  to  get  to  my  feet. 

'  For  certain,'  he  answered.  Then  he  looked  at  me  shyly. 
'  You  were  in  the  wars,  last  night,  Master  Martin  ? '  he 
said. 

'In  the  wars?'  I  exclaimed.  'What  do  you  mean?' 
And  I  stared  at  him  ;  waiting,  with  one  knee  and  one  foot 
on  the  ground  for  his  answer. 

He  pointed  to  my  cloak.  I  looked  down,  and  saw  to  my 
surprise  a  great  slit  in  it  —  a  clean  cut  in  the  stuff,  a  foot 
long.  For  a  moment  I  looked  at  the  slit,  wondering  stu- 
pidly and  trying  to  remember  how  I  could  have  done  it. 
Then  a  sudden  flash  of  intelligence  entered  my  mind,  and 
with  a  dreadful  pang  of  terror,  I  thrust  my  hand  into  my 
pouch.  The  chain  was  gone  ! 

I  sprang  to  my  feet.  I  tore  off  the  pouch  and  peered 
into  it.  I  shook  my  clothes  like  one  possessed.  I  stooped 
and  searched  the  ground  where  I  had  lain.  But  all  fruit- 
lessly. The  chain  was  gone  ! 

As  soon  as  I  knew  this  for  certain,  I  turned  on  Jacob, 
and  seizing  him  by  the  throat,  shook  him  to  and  fro. 
'  Wretch  ! '  I  said.  '  You  have  slept !  You  have  slept  and 
let  us  be  robbed  !  You  have  ruined  me  !  ' 

He  gurgled  out  a  startled  denial,  and  the  others  came 
round  us  and  got  him  from  me.  But  my  outcry  had  roused 
all  our  part  of  the  camp ;  even  my  lady  put  her  head  out 
of  the  tent  and  asked  what  was  the  matter.  Some  one 
told  her. 


u6  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  That  is  bad,'  she  said  kindly.  '  What  is  it  you  have 
lost,  Martin?' 

Over  her  shoulder  I  saw  a  pale  face  peer  out  —  Marie 
Wort's ;  and  on  the  instant  I  felt  rny  rage  die  down  into  a 
miserable  chill,  the  chill  of  despair. 

'  Seven  ducats,'  I  said  sullenly,  looking  down  at  the 
ground,  for  the  truth,  at  sight  of  her,  crushed  me.  I  was  a 
thief  !  This  had  made  me  one.  Who  was  I  to  cry  out  that 
I  was  robbed  ? 

'  It  must  be  one  of  the  strangers,'  my  lady  said  in  a  low 
voice  and  with  an  air  of  disturbance.  'Do  you ' 

I  sprang  away  without  waiting  to  hear  more  —  they 
must  have  thought  me  mad.  I  tore  to  the  spot  where  I  had 
diced  the  night  before.  Three  or  four  men  sat  round  the 
fire,  swearing  and  grumbling,  as  is  the  manner  of  their  kind 
in  the  morning;  but  the  man  I  wanted  was  not  among 
them. 

'  Where  is  Ludwig  ?  '  I  panted.     ( Where  is  he  ? ' 

A  form,  wrapped  head  and  all  in  a  cloak,  struggled  for  a 
moment  with  its  coverings,  and  freeing  itself  at  last,  rose 
to  a  sitting  posture.  It  was  Captain  Ludwig. 

*  Who  wants  me  ?  '  he  muttered  sleepily. 

'I!'  I  cried,  stooping  and  seizing  him  by  the  shoulder. 
I  was  trembling  with  excitement.  '  I  have  been  robbed ! 
Do  you  hear,  man  ?  I  have  been  robbed !  In  the  night ! ' 

He  shook  me  off  impatiently.  '  Well,  what  is  that  to 
me  ? '  he  grunted.  And  he  turned  to  warm  himself. 

'  Where  is  the  Saxon  who  sat  by  me  last  night  ? '  I 
demanded,  almost  beside  myself  with  fury. 

'  How  do  I  know  ? '  he  answered,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders peevishly.  'Bobbed?  Well,  you  are  not  the  first 
person  that  has  been  robbed.  You  need  not  make  such  an 
outcry  about  it.  There  is  more  than  one  thief  about,  eh, 
Taddeo  ? '  And  he  winked  cunningly  at  his  comrade. 

The  man's  indifference  maddened  me.  I  could  scarcely 
keep  my  hands  off  him.  Fortunately,  Taddeo's  answer  put 
au  end  to  my  doubts. 


Ludwig,  all  his  indifference  cast  to  the  winds,  continued 
to  stamp  and  scream     .     .     . 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  117 

'  There  is  one  less,  at  any  rate,  captain,'  he  said  care- 
lessly, stooping  forward  to  stir  the  embers.  '  The  Saxon 
is  gone.' 

'  Himmel !  He  has,  has  he  ?  Without  leave  ?  '  Ludwig 
answered.  '  The  worse  for  him  if  we  catch  him,  that 
is  all ! ' 

'  He  went  off  with  the  German  and  his  servants  an  hour 
before  sunrise,'  Taddeo  said  with  a  yawn. 

'He  had  better  not  let  our  noble  general  overtake  him  ! ' 
Ludwig  answered  grimly,  while  I  stood  still,  stricken 
dumb  by  the  news.  '  But  enough  of  that.  Where  is  my 
cap?' 

Taddeo  pushed  it  towards  him  with  his  foot,  and  he  took 
it  up  and  put  it  on.  He  had  no  sooner  done  so,  however, 
than  a  thought  seemed  to  strike  him.  He  snatched  the  cap 
off  again,  and,  plunging  his  hand  into  it,  groped  in  the 
lining.  The  next  instant  he  sprang  to  his  feet  with  a  howl 
of  rage. 

Taddeo  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  '  What  is  it  ?  ' 
he  asked. 

For  answer,  Ludwig  ran  at  him  and  dealt  him  a  tremen- 
dous kick.  '  There,  pig,  that  is  for  you ! '  he  cried  venge- 
fully,  his  eyes  almost  starting  from  his  head.  '  You  will 
not  ask  what  it  is  next  time  !  That  Saxon  hound  has 
robbed  me  —  that  is  what  it  is.  But  he  shall  pay  for  it. 
He  shall  hang  before  night!  Every  ducat  I  had  he  has 
taken,  pig,  dog,  vermin  that  he  is  !  But  I  '11  be  even  with 
him.  I '11  lash ' 

And  Master  Ludwig,  all  his  indifference  cast  to  the  winds, 
continued  to  stamp  and  scream  so  loudly  that  in  the  end 
Tzerclas  overheard  him,  and  appeared. 

'  What  is  this  ?  '  the  general  said  harshly.  t  Is  that  man 
mad?' 

Ludwig  grew  a  little  calmer  at  sight  of  him.  'The 
Saxon,  Heller,'  he  answered,  scowling.  'He  has  de- 
serted with  fifty  ducats  of  mine,  general;  good  honest 
money ! ' 


n8  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

'The  worse  for  you,'  Tzerclas  answered  cynically.  '  And 
the  worse  for  him,  if  I  catch  him.  He  will  hang.' 

'  He  has  taken  a  gold  chain  of  mine  also,'  I  said,  thrust- 
ing myself  forward. 

The  general  looked  hard  at  me.  f  Umph ! '  he  said. 
'  Which  way  has  he  gone  ?  ' 

'  He  left  with  the  German  gentleman  and  his  two 
servants  at  daybreak,'  Taddeo  answered,  rubbing  himself. 
4 1  thought  that  he  had  orders  to  go  with  them..' 

'  He  has  gone  north,  then  ? ' 

'North  they  started,'  Taddeo  whimpered. 

The  general  turned  to  Ludwig.  '  Take  two  men,'  he  said 
curtly,  '  and  follow  him.  But,  whether  you  catch  him  or 
not,  see  that  you  are  back  two  hours  before  noon.  And  let 
me  have  no  more  noise.' 

Ludwig  saluted  hastily,  and,  it  will  be  believed,  lost  no 
time  in  obeying  his  orders.  In  two  minutes  he  was  in  the 
saddle,  and  dashed  out  of  camp,  followed  by  two  of  his 
men  and  one  of  my  lady's,  whom  I  took  leave  to  add  to  the 
party  for  the  better  care  of  my  property,  should  it  be 
recovered.  I  looked  after  them  with  longing  eyes,  and 
listened  to  the  last  beat  of  the  hoofs  as  they  passed  through 
the  forest.  And  then  for  three  hours  I  had  to  wait  in  a 
dreadful  state  of  suspense  and  inaction.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  the  party  rode  in  again,  the  horses  bloody  with 
spurring,  the  riders  gloomy  and  chapfallen.  They  had 
galloped  four  leagues  without  coming  on  the  slightest  trace 
of  the  fugitive  or  his  companions. 

'  The  German  never  went  north,'  Ludwig  said,  looking 
darkly  at  his  chief. 

Tzerclas  smoothed  his  chin  with  his  thumb  and  fore- 
finger. '  Are  you  sure  of  that  ? '  he  asked. 

'  Quite,  general.  They  have  all  gone  south  together,' 
Ludwig  answered,  'and  are  far  enough  away  by  this 
time.' 

'  Umph  !     Well,  we  start  in  an  hour.' 

And  that  was  all !     I  wandered  away  and  stood  staring 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  119 

at  the  ground.  I  remembered  that  Peter  the  locksmith  had 
valued  the  chain  at  two  hundred  ducats,  a  sum  exceed- 
ing any  I  could  pay.  But  that  was  not  the  worst.  What 
was  I  to  say  to  the  girl  ?  How  was  I  to  explain  a  piece  of 
folly,  mischief,  call  it  what  you  will,  that  had  turned  out  so 
badly  ?  If  I  told  her  the  truth,  would  she  believe  me  ? 

At  that  thought  I  started.  Why  tell  her  the  truth  at 
all  ?  Why  not  leave  her  in  ignorance  ?  She  would  be 
none  the  worse,  for  the  chain  was  gone.  And  I,  who  had 
never  meant  to  steal  it,  should  be  the  better,  seeing  that  I 
should  escape  the  humiliation  of  confessing  what  I  had 
done.  Confession  could  do  no  good  to  her.  And  in  what  a 
position  it  would  place  me  ! 

Leaning  against  a  tree  and  driving  my  heel  moodily  into 
the  soil,  I  was  still  battling  with  this  temptation — for  a 
temptation  I  knew  it  was,  even  then  —  when  a  light  touch 
fell  on  my  sleeve.  I  turned,  and  there  was  the  girl  herself, 
waiting  to  speak  to  me  ! 


CHAPTER  XII. 

NEAR   THE    EDGE. 

'  WILL  you  give  me  back  my  —  my  chain,  if  you  please  ? ' 
she  said  timidly. 

And  she  stood  with  clasped  hands  and  blushing  cheeks,  as 
if  she  were  the  culprit.  Her  eyes  looked  anywhere  to 
avoid  mine.  Her  voice  trembled,  and  she  seemed  ready  to 
sink  into  the  earth  with  shame.  She  was  small,  weak, 
helpless.  But  her  words  !  Had  they  come  from  the  judge 
sitting  on  his  bench,  with  axe  and  branding-iron  by  his 
side,  they  could  not  have  cowed  me  more  completely,  or 
deprived  me  more  quickly  of  wit  and  courage. 

'  Your  chain  ?  '  I  stammered,  stricken  almost  voiceless. 
'  What  do  you  mean  ?  ' 


120  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'If  you  please,'  she  whispered,  her  face  flushing  more 
and  more,  her  eyes  filling.  '  My  chain.' 

'  But  how  —  what  makes  you  think  that  I  have  got  it  ? ' 
I  muttered  hoarsely.  '  What  makes  you  come  to  me  ? ' 

To  confess,  of  my  own  motive  and  unsuspected,  had  been 
bad  enough  and  shameful  enough  ;  but  to  be  accused,  un- 
masked, convicted  —  and  by  her  !  This  was  too  much. 
My  face  burned,  my  eyes  were  hot  as  fire. 

She  twisted  the  fingers  of  one  hand  tightly  round  the 
other,  but  she  did  not  look  up.  '  You  took  it  from  the 
child's  neck  as  we  passed  through  the  ford/  she  said  in  a 
low  voice,  'that  night  I  lost  it.' 

'  I  did  ! '  I  exclaimed.     '  I  did,  girl  ?  ' 

She  nodded  firmly,  her  lip  trembling.  But  she  never 
looked  up ;  nor  into  my  face  ! 

Yet  her  insistence  angered  me.  How  did  she  know,  how 
could  she  know  ?  I  put  the  question  into  words.  'How 
do  you  know  ? '  I  said  harshly.  '  Who  told  you  so  ?  Who 
told  you  this  —  this  lie,  woman  ?  ' 

'The  child,'  she  answered,  shivering  under  my  words. 

I  opened  my  mouth  and  drew  in  my  breath.  I  had 
never  thought  of  that.  I  had  never  thought,  save  once 
for  a  brief  moment,  of  the  child  talking,  and,  on  the 
instant,  I  stood  speechless ;  convicted  and  confounded  ! 
Then  I  found  my  voice  again. 

'  The  child  told  you  ! '  I  muttered  incredulously.  '  The 
child  ?  Why,  it  cannot  talk  !  ' 

'  It  can,'  she  said,  her  voice  breaking.  '  It  can  talk  to 
me,  and  I  can  understand  it.  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry  ! '  And  with 
that  she  broke  down.  She  turned  away  and,  covering  her 
face  with  her  hands,  began  to  sob  bitterly.  Her  shoulders 
heaved,  and  her  slender  frame  shook  with  the  storm. 

A  thief,  and  a  liar !  That  was  what  I  had  made  myself. 
I  stood  glaring  at  her,  my  breast  full  of  sullen  passion.  I 
hated  her  and  her  necklace.  I  wished  that  it  had  been 
buried  a  thousand  fathoms  deep  in  the  sea  !  That  moment 
in  the  ford,  one  moment  only,  a  moment  of  folly,  had 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  121 

wrecked  me.  I  raged  against  her  and  against  myself.  I 
could  have  struck  her.  If  she  had  only  left  me  alone,  if 
she  had  not  come  to  question  me  and  accuse  me,  I  should 
not  have  lied;  and  then,  perhaps,  I  might  have  recovered 
the  necklace,  somehow  and  some  day,  and,  giving  it  back 
to  her,  told  her  the  story  and  kept  my  honesty.  Now  I  had 
lied,  and  she  knew  it.  And  I  hated  her.  I  hated  her, 
sobbing  and  shaking  and  shivering  before  me. 

And  then  a  ray  of  sunlight,  passing  through  the  branches, 
fell  on  her  bowed  head.  A  hundred  paces  away,  little 
more,  they  were  striking  the  camp.  The  men's  voices, 
their  harsh  jests  and  rude  laughter,  reached  us.  I  heard 
one  man  called,  and  another,  and  orders  given,  and  the 
jingle  of  the  bits  and  bridles.  All  was  unchanged,  every- 
thing was  proceeding  in  its  usual  course.  One  thing  only 
in  the  world  was  altered  —  Martin  Schwartz,  the  steward. 

I  found  no  words  to  lie  to  her  farther,  to  deny  or  protest ; 
and  when  we  had  stood  thus  for  a  short  time,  she  turned. 
She  began  to  move  slowly  away  from  me,  though  the  pas- 
sion of  her  tears  seemed  to  increase  rather  than  slacken 
as  she  went,  and  shook  her  frame  with  such  vehemence 
that  she  could  scarcely  walk. 

For  a  time  I  stood  looking  after  her  in  sullen  shame, 
doing  and  saying  nothing  to  stay  her.  Then,  suddenly, 
a  change  came  over  me.  She  looked  so  friendless,  so  frail, 
and  gentle  and  helpless,  that,  in  the  middle  of  my  selfish 
shame,  my  heart  smote  me.  I  felt  a  sudden  welling  up  of 
pity  and  repentance,  which  worked  so  quickly  and  wonder- 
fully iu  me,  that  before  she  had  gone  a  score  of  paces  from 
me,  my  hand  was  on  her  shoulder. 

'  Stop !  Stay  a  moment  1 '  I  muttered  hoarsely.  '  I  have 
been  lying  to  you.  I  took  the  necklace  —  from  the  child's 
neck.  It  is  all  true.' 

She  ceased  crying,  but  she  did  not  turn  or  look  at  me. 
She  seemed  to  be  struggling  for  composure,  and  presently, 
with  her  face  still  averted,  she  murmured  — 

'  Why  did  you  take  it  ?     Will  you  please  to  tell  me  ?  ' 


122  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

As  well  as  I  could,  I  did  tell  her ;  how  and  why  I  had 
taken  it,  what  I  had  done  with  it,  and  how  I  had  lost  it. 
She  listened,  but  she  made  no  sign,  she  said  nothing ;  and 
her  silence  hurt  me  at  last  so  keenly  that  I  added  with 
bitterness  — 

'  I  lied  before,  and  you  need  not  believe  what  I  say  now. 
Still,  it  is  true/ 

She  turned  her  face  quickly  to  me,  and  I  saw  that  her 
cheeks  were  hot  and  her  eyes  shining.  « I  believe  it  — 
every  word,'  she  said. 

'  I  will  not  lie  to  you  again.' 

'You  never  did,'  she  answered.  And  she  stole  a  glance 
at  me,  a  faint  smile  flickering  about  her  lips.  '  Your  face 
never  did,  Master  Martin.' 

'Yet  you  wept  sore  enough  for  your  chain,'  I  said. 

She  looked  at  me  for  a  moment  with  something  like 
auger  in  her  gentle  eyes,  so  that  for  that  instant  she 
seemed  transformed.  And  she  drew  away  from  me. 

-  Did  you  think  that  I  wept  for  that  ? '  she  said  in  a  tone 
of  offence.  '  I  did  not.' 

'Then  for  what  ? '  I  asked  clumsily. 

She  looked  two  or  three  ways  before  she  answered,  and 
in  the  distance  some  one  called  me. 

'  There  !  you  are  wanted,'  she  said  hurriedly. 

'  But  you  have  not  answered  my  question,'  I  said. 

She  took  a  step  from  me  and  paused,  with  her  head  half 
turned.  'I  wept  —  I  wept  because  I  thought  that  I  had 
lost  a  friend,'  she  said  in  a  low  voice.  'And  I  have  few, 
Master  Martin.' 

She  was  gone,  before  I  could  answer,  through  the  trees 
and  back  to  the  camp.  And  I  had  to  follow.  Half  a  dozen 
voices  in  half  a  dozen  places  were  calling  my  name.  The 
general's  trumpet  was  sounding.  I  slipped  aside  and  joined 
the  camp  from  another  quarter,  and  in  a  moment  was  in  the 
middle  of  the  hubbub,  beset  by  restive  horses  and  swaying 
poles,  clanging  kettles  and  swearing  riders,  and  all  the 
hurry  and  confusion  of  the  start.  My  lady  called  to  me 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  123 

sharply  to  know  where  I  had  been,  and  why  I  was  late. 
The  Waldgrave  wanted  this,  Fraulein  Max  that.  The 
general  frowned  at  me  from  afar.  It  would  have  been  no 
great  wonder  if  I  had  lost  my  temper. 

But  I  did  not ;  I  was  in  no  risk  of  doing  so.  I  had  gone 
near  the  edge  and  had  been  plucked  back.  Late,  and  when 
all  seemed  over,  I  had  been  given  a  place  for  repentance ; 
and  gratitude  and  relief  so  filled  my  breast  that  I  had  a 
smile  for  every  one.  The  sun  seemed  to  shine  more 
brightly,  the  wind  to  blow  more  softly  —  the  wind  which 
blew  from  Marie  Wort  to  me.  Thank  God ! 

As  I  fell  in  behind  my  lady  —  the  general  riding  alone 
some  way  in  the  rear  —  the  Waldgrave  came  up  and 
took  his  place  at  her  side ;  greeting  her  with  an  awkward 
air  which  seemed  to  prove  that  this  was  his  first  appear- 
ance in  her  neighbourhood.  He  made  a  show  of  hiding 
his  uneasiness  under  a  face  of  careless  gaiety,  such  as  was 
his  natural  wear ;  and  for  awhile  he  rattled  on  gallantly. 
But  my  lady's  cool  tone  and  short  answers  soon  stripped 
him,  and  left  him  with  no  other  resource  but  to  take 
offence.  He  took  it,  and  for  a  mile  or  so  rode  on  in  gloomy 
silence,  brooding  over  his  wrongs.  Then,  anger  giving 
way  to  self-reproach,  he  grew  tired  of  this. 

With  a  sudden  gesture  he  leaned  over  and  laid  his  hand 
on  the  withers  of  my  lady's  horse.  '  Tell  me,  what  is  the 
matter,  fair  cousin  ? '  he  said  in  a  softened  tone.  '  What 
have  I  done  ?  " 

'  You  should  know,'  she  answered,  giving  him  one  keen 
glance,  but  speaking  more  gently  than  before. 

'  I  know  ? '  he  replied  hardily.     *  I  am  sure  I  don't.' 

My  lady  shook  her  head.     *  I  think  you  do,'  she  said. 

'I  suppose  you  are  angry  with  me  for  —  for  standing  up 
for  Germany  last  night  ? '  he  muttered,  withdrawing  his 
hand  and  speaking  coldly  in  his  turn. 

'No,  not  for  that/  my  lady  rejoined.  'Certainly  not  for 
that.  But  for  being  too  German  in  one  of  your  habits, 
Rupert.  Which  do  you  think  made  the  better  figure  last 


124  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

night  —  you  who  were  flushed  with  wine,  or  General  Tzer- 
clas  who  kept  his  head  cool?  You  who  bragged  like  a 
boy,  or  General  Tzerclas  who  said  less  than  he  meant  ? 
You  who  were  rude  to  your  host ;  or  he  who  made  every 
allowance  for  his  guest?' 

*  Allowance ! '  my  lord  cried,  firing  up  at  the  word.  And 
I  could  see  that  he  reddened  to  the  nape  of  his  neck  with, 
anger.  '  There  was  no  need ! ' 

'  Yes,  allowance,'  my  lady  answered  firmly.  '  There  was 
every  need.' 

'  You  would  have  me  drink  nothing,  I  suppose  ?  '  he  said 
fretting  and  fuming. 

'I  would  rather  you  drank  nothing  than  too  much,'  she 
replied.  '  Because  a  German  and  a  drunkard  have  come  to 
mean  the  sajne  thing,  is  that  a  reason  for  deepening  the 
reproach  ?  For  shame,  Kupert ! ' 

'  You  treat  me  like  a  boy ! '  he  cried  bitterly.  And  I 
thought  that  she  was  hard  on  him. 

'Well,  you  have  only  yourself  to  thank,'  she  retorted 
cruelly,  *  if  I  do.  You  behave  like  a  boy.  And  I  do  not 
like  to  have  to  blush  for  my  friends.' 

That  cut  him  deeply.  He  uttered  a  half-stifled  cry  of 
anger  and  reined  in  his  horse.  'You  have  said  enough,' 
he  said,  speaking  thickly.  'You  shall  have  no  farther 
cause  to  blush  in  my  case.  I  will  relieve  you.'  And  on 
the  instant,  with  a  low  bow,  he  turned  his  horse's  head  and 
rode  down  the  column  towards  the  rear,  leaving  my  lady  to 
go  on  alone. 

I  confess  I  thought  that  she  had  been  hard  on  him ; 
perhaps  she  thought  so  too,  now  he  was  gone.  And  here 
were  the  beginnings  of  a  pretty  quarrel.  But  I  did  not 
guess  the  direction  it  was  likely  to  take,  until  a  horseman 
spurred  quickly  by  me,  and  in  a  moment  General  Tzerclas, 
his  velvet  cloak  hanging  at  his  shoulder,  had  taken  the 
Waldgrave's  place,  and  with  his  head  bent  low  over  his 
horse's  neck  was  talking  to  my  lady.  I  saw  him  indicate 
this  and  that  quarter  with  his  gauntleted  hand.  I  could 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  125 

fancy  that  this  was  Cassel,  and  that  Frankfort,  and  another 
his  camp,  and  that  he  was  proposing  plans  and  routes. 
But  what  he  said  I  could  not  hear.  He  had  a  low,  quiet 
way  of  talking,  very  characteristic  of  him,  which  flattered 
those  to  whom  he  addressed  himself  and  baffled  others. 

And  this,  I  suppose,  it  was  that  made  me  suspicious. 
For  the  longer  I  rode  behind  him  and  the  more  I  con- 
sidered him,  the  less  I  liked  both  him  and  the  prospect. 
He  was  in  the  prime  of  his  age  and  strength,  inferior  to 
the  Waldgrave  in  height  and  the  air  of  youth,  but  superior 
in  that  which  the  other  lacked  —  the  bearing  of  a  man  of 
the  world,  tried  by  good  and  evil  fortune,  and  versed  in 
many  perils.  Cool  and  resolute,  handsome  in  a  hard-bitten 
fashion,  gifted,  as  I  guessed,  with  infinite  address,  he  pos- 
sessed much  to  take  the  fancy  of  a  woman ;  particularly  of 
such  a  one  as  my  lady,  long  used  to  comfort,  and  now  learn 
ing  in  ill-fortune  the  value  of  a  strong  arm. 

The  possibility  of  such  an  alliance,  thus  suddenly  thrust 
on  my  notice,  chilled  me.  Anything,  I  said,  rather  than 
that.  The  Waldgrave  had  not  left  his  post  five  minutes 
before  I  began  to  think  of  him  with  longing,  before  I  began 
to  invest  him  with  all  manner  of  virtues.  At  least,  he  was 
a  German,  of  a  great  and  noble  family,  tied  to  the  soil, 
and  fettered  in  his  dealings  by  a  hundred  traditions; 
while  this  man  riding  before  me  possessed  not  one  of 
these  qualities ! 

Von  Werder's  warning,  which  the  loss  of  Marie  Wort's 
necklace  had  driven  from  my  mind  for  a  time,  recurred 
with  double  force  now,  and  did  not  tend  to  reassure  me. 
I  listened  with  all  my  might,  trying  to  learn  whether  my 
lady  was  pledging  herself  to  any  course,  for  I  knew  that  if 
she  once  promised  I  should  find  it  hard  to  move  her.  But 
I  could  not  catch  a  syllable,  and  presently  there  came  an 
interruption  which  diverted  my  thoughts. 

One  of  the  two  men  who  rode  in  front,  and  served  for 
the  advanced  guard  of  our  party,  came  galloping  back  with 
his  hand  raised  and  a  grin  on  his  dark  face.  He  pulled  up 


126  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

his  horse  a  few  paces  short  of  General  Tzerclas  and  my 
lady,  and  reported  that  he  had  found  the  Saxon. 

'What!  Heller?'  the  general  exclaimed.  'Here,  Lud- 
wig !  Where  are  you  ?  ' 

Ludwig,  and  I,  and  two  or  three  more,  spurred  forward, 
and  passing  by  my  lady,  who  reined  in  her  horse,  came  a 
hundred  paces  farther  on  upon  the  other  trooper.  He  had 
dismounted  and  was  stooping  over  a  man's  body,  which  lay 
under  a  great  tree  that  stood  a  few  yards  from  the  track. 

'So,  so?  He  is  dead,  is  he?'  the  captain  cried,  leaping 
from  his  saddle. 

'Ay,  this  hour  or  more,'  the  trooper  answered  with  a 
grunt.  'And  robbed!' 

'  Robbed  ? '  Ludwig  shrieked.  '  Then  you  have  done  it, 
you  scoundrel.' 

'  Not  I ! '  the  fellow  said  coolly.  '  Who  ever  it  was 
killed  him,  robbed  him.  You  can  see  for  yourself  that 
he  has  been  dead  an  hour  or  more.' 

The  sudden  hope  which  had  dawned  in  my  breast  sank 
again.  The  man  lay  on  his  back,  with  his  one  eye  staring, 
and  his  mean,  livid  face  turned  up  to  the  tree  and  the  sun- 
shine. His  cap  had  fallen  off,  and  a  shock  of  hay-coloured 
hair  added  to  the  horror  of  his  appearance.  I  tried  in  vain 
to  hide  a  qualm  as  I  watched  the  soldiers  passing  their 
practised  hands  over  his  clothes;  but  I  was  alone  in  this. 
No  one  else  seemed  to  feel  any  emotion.  The  dead  man 
lay  and  his  comrades  searched  him,  and  I  heard  a  hundred 
ribald  and  loose  things  said,  but  not  one  that  smacked  of 
pity  or  regret.  So  the  man  had  lived,  without  love  or 
mercy,  and  so  he  died. 

Ludwig  stood  up  at  last.  'He  has  not  the  worth  of  his 
boots  upon  him!'  he  said,  with  a  savage  snarl.  And  he 
kicked  the  body. 

'  Look  in  his  cap  ! '  I  said. 

A  man  took  it  up,  but  only  to  hold  it  out  to  me.  Some 
one  had  already  ripped  it  up  with  a  knife. 

'  His  boots ! '  I  suggested  desperately. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  127 

In  a  moment  they  were  drawn  off,  turned  up,  and  shaken. 
But  nothing  fell  out.  The  dead  man  had  been  stripped 
clean.  There  was  not  so  much  as  a  silver  piece  upon 
him. 

We  got  to  horse  gloomily,  one  man  the  richer  by  his  bell,, 
another  by  his  boots.  His  arms  were  gone  already.  And 
so  we  left  him  lying  under  the  tree  for  the  next  traveller 
to  bury,  if  he  pleased.-  I  know  it  has  an  ill  sound  now,  but 
we  were  in  an  evil  mood,  and  the  times  were  rough. 

'  The  dog  is  dead,  let  the  dog  lie ! '  one  growled.  And 
that  was  his  epitaph. 

With  him  disappeared,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  my  last  chance 
of  recovering  the  necklace.  Whoever  had  robbed  him,  that 
was  gone.  A  week  might  see  it  pass  through  a  score  of 
hands,  a  day  might  see  it  broken  up,  and  spent,  a  link  here 
and  a  link  there.  It  was  gone,  and  I  had  to  face  the  fact 
and  make  up  my  mind  to  its  consequences. 

I  am  bound  to  say  that  the  reflection  gave  me  less  pain 
than  I  could  have  believed  possible  a  few  hours  before. 
Then  it  would  almost  have  maddened  me.  Now  it  troubled 
me,  but  not  beyond  endurance,  leading  me  to  go  over  with 
a  jealous  eye  all  the  particulars  of  ray  interview  with  Marie, 
but  renewing  none  of  the  shame  which  had  attended  the 
first  discovery  of  my  loss.  By  turning  my  head  I  could  see 
the  girl  plodding  patiently  on,  a  little  behind  me  in  the 
ranks ;  and  I  turned  often.  It  no  longer  pained  me  to 
meet  her  eyes. 

An  hour  before  sunset  we  crossed  the  brow  of  a  low, 
furze-covered  hill,  and  saw  before  us  a  shallow  green  valley 
or  basin,  through  which  the  river  wound  in  a  hundred  zig- 
zags. The  hovels  of  a  small  village,  with  one  or  two  houses 
of  a  better  size,  stood  dotted  about  the  banks  of  the  stream. 
Over  the  largest  of  the  buildings  a  banner  hung  idly  on  a 
pole,  and  from  this  as  from  the  centre  of  a  circle  ran  out 
long  rows  of  wattled  huts,  which  in  the  distance  looked  like 
bee-hives.  Endless  ranks  of  horses  stood  hobbled  in  another 
place,  with  a  forest  of  carts  and  sledges,  and  here  a  drove  of 


128  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

oxen,  and  there  a  monstrous  flock  of  sheep.  One  of  the 
men  with  us  blew  a  few  notes  on  a  trumpet;  and  the  sound, 
being  taken  up  at  once  and  repeated,  in  a  moment  filled  the 
mimic  streets  with  a  hurrying,  buzzing  crowd,  that  lent  the 
scene  all  the  animation  possible. 

'  So,  this  is  your  camp  ? '  my  lady  exclaimed,  her  eyes 
sparkling. 

'This  is  my  camp/  General  Tzerclas  answered  quietly. 
'And  it  and  I  are  equally  at  your  service.  Presently 
we  will  bid  you  welcome  after  a  more  fitting  fashion, 
Countess.' 

'  And  how  many  men  have  you  here  ? '  she  asked  quickly. 

'Two  thousand,'  he  answered,  with  a  faint  smile. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OUR   QUARTERS. 

AT  this  time  I  had  never  seen  a  camp,  nor  viewed  any 
large  number  of  armed  men  together,  and  my  curiosity,  as 
we  dropped  gently  down  the  hill,  while  the  sun  set  and  the 
shadows  of  evening  fell  upon  the  busy  scene,  was  mingled 
with  some  uneasiness.  The  babble  of  voices,  of  traders 
crying  their  wares,  of  men  quarrelling  at  play,  of  women 
screaming  and  scolding,  rose  up  continually,  as  from  a 
fair ;  and  the  nearer  we  approached  the  more  like  a  fair, 
the  less  like  my  anticipations,  seemed  the  place  we  were 
entering.  I  looked  to  see  something  gay  and  splendid,  the 
glitter  of  weapons  and  the  gleam  of  flags,  some  reflection 
of  the  rich  surroundings  the  general  allowed  himself.  I 
saw  nothing  of  the  kind ;  no  show  of  ordered  lines,  no  bat- 
talia drilling,  no  picquets,  outposts,  or  sentinels.  On  the 
contrary,  all  before  us  seemed  squalid,  noisy,  turbulent;  so 
that  as  I  descended  into  the  midst  of  it,  and  left  the  quiet 
uplands  and  the  evening  behind  us,  I  felt  my  gorge  rise, 
and  shivered  as  with  cold. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  129 

A  furlong  short  of  the  camp  a  troop  of  officers  on  horse- 
back carne  to  meet  us,  and  saluting  their  general  —  some 
with  hiccoughs  —  fell  in  tumultuously  behind  us;  and  their 
feathered  hats  and  haphazard  armour  took  the  eye  finely. 
But  the  next  to  meet  us  were  of  a  different  kind  —  beggars; 
troops  of  whom,  men,  women,  and  children,  assailed  us 
with  loud  cries,  and,  wailing  and  imploring  aid,  ran  beside 
our  horses,  until  Tzerclas'  men  rode  out  at  them  and  beat 
them  off.  To  these  succeeded  a  second  horde,  this  time  of 
gaudy,  slatternly  women,  who  hung  about  the  entrance  to 
the  camp,  with  hucksters,  peddlers,  thieves,  and  the  like, 
without  number ;  so  that  our  way  seemed  to  lie  through 
the  lowest  haunts  of  a  great  city.  Not  one  in  four  of  all  I 
saw  had  the  air  of  a  soldier  or  counted  himself  one. 

And  this  was  the  case  inside  the  camp  as  well  as  outside. 
Everywhere  booths  and  stalls  stood  among  the  huts,  and 
sutlers  plied  their  trade.  Everywhere  men  wrangled,  and 
women  screamed,  and  naked  children  scuttered  up  and  down. 
While  we  passed,  the  general's  presence  procured  momen- 
tary respect  and  silence.  The  moment  we  were  gone,  the 
stream  of  ribaldry  poured  across  our  path,  and  the  tide  of 
riot  set  in.  I  saw  plenty  of  bearded  ruffians,  dark  men  with 
scowling  faces,  chaffering,  gaming  or  sleeping;  but  little 
that  was  soldierly,  little  that  was  orderly,  nothing  to 
proclaim  that  this  was  the  lager  of  a  military  force, 
until  we  had  left  the  camp  itself  behind  us  and  entered 
the  village. 

Here  in  a  few  scattered  houses  were  the  quarters  of  the 
principal  officers ;  and  here  a  degree  of  quiet  and  decency 
and  some  show  met  the  eye.  A  watch  was  set  in  the  street, 
which  was  ankle-deep  in  filth.  A  few  pennons  fluttered 
from  the  eaves,  or  before  the  doors.  In  front  of  the  largest 
house  a  dozen  cannon,  the  wheels  locked  together  with 
chains,  were  drawn  up,  and  behind  the  buildings  were 
groups  of  tethered  horses.  Two  trumpeters,  who  seemed 
to  be  waiting  for  us,  blew  a  blast  as  we  appeared,  and  a 
dozen  officers  on  foot,  some  with  pikes  and  some  with  par- 

9 


130  AfY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

tisans,  came  up  to  greet  the  general.  But  even  here  ugly 
looks  aiid  insolent  faces  were  plentiful.  The  splendour  was 
faded,  the  rich  garments  were  set  on  awry.  Hard  by  the 
cannon,  in  the  shadow  of  the  house,  a  corpse  hung  and 
dangled  from  the  branch  of  an  oak.  The  man  had  kicked 
off  his  shoes  before  he  died,  or  some  one  had  taken  them, 
and  the  naked  feet,  shining  in  the  dusk,  brushed  the 
shoulders  of  the  passers-by. 

Some  might  have  taken  it  for  an  evil  omen ;  I  found  it  a 
good  one,  yet  wished  more  than  ever  that  we  had  not  met 
General  Tzerclas.  But  my  lady,  riding  beside  him  and 
listening  to  his  low-voiced  talk,  seemed  not  a  whit  dis- 
appointed by  what  she  saw,  by  the  lack  of  discipline,  or  the 
sordid  crowd.  Either  she  had  known  better  than  I  what  to 
expect  in  a  camp,  or  she  had  eyes  only  for  such  brightness 
as  existed.  Possibly  Von  Werder's  warning  had  so  coloured 
my  vision  that  I  saw  everything  in  sombre  tints. 

We  found  quarters  prepared  for  us,  not  in  the  general's 
house,  the  large  one  by  the  cannon,  but  in  a  house  of  four 
rooms,  a  little  farther  down  the  street.  It  was  convenient, 
it  had  been  cleaned  for  us,  and  we  found  a  meal  awaiting 
us;  and  so  far  I  was  bound  to  confess  that  we  had  no 
ground  for  complaint.  The  general  accompanied  my  lady 
to  the  door,  and  there  left  her  with  many  bows,  requesting 
permission  to  wait  on  her  next  day,  and  begging  her  in  the 
mean  time  to  send  to  him  for  anything  that  was  lacking  to 
her  comfort. 

When  he  was  gone,  and  my  lady  had  surveyed  the  place, 
she  let  her  satisfaction  be  seen.  The  main  room  had  been 
made  habitable  enough.  She  stood  in  her  redingote,  tap- 
ping the  table  with  her  whip. 

'Well,  Martin,  this  is  better  than  the  forest/  she  said. 

'Yes,  your  excellency,'  I  answered  reluctantly. 

'  I  think  we  have  done  very  well,'  she  continued ;  and  she 
smiled  to  herself. 

'We  are  safe  from  the  rain,  at  any  rate,'  I  said  bluntly. 
My  tongue  itched  to  tell  her  Von  Werder's  warning,  but 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  131 

Fraulein  Anna  and  Marie  Wort  were  in  the  room,  and  I  did 
not  think  it  safe  to  speak. 

I  could  not  stay  and  not  tell,  however,  and  I  jumped  at 
the  first  excuse  for  retiring.  There  was  a  kind  of  wooden 
platform  in  front  of  the  houses,  and  running  their  whole 
length ;  a  walk,  raised  out  of  the  mud  of  the  street  and 
sheltered  overhead  by  the  low,  wide  eaves.  A  woman  and 
some  children  had  climbed  on  to  it,  and  begging  with  their 
palms  through  the  windows  almost  deafened  us.  I  ran  out 
and  drove  them  off,  and  set  a  man  in  front  to  keep  the  place 
free.  But  the  wretched  creatures'  entreaties  haunted  me, 
and  when  I  returned  I  was  in  a  worse  temper  than  before. 

The  Waldgrave  met  me  at  the  door,  and  to  my  surprise 
laid  his  hand  on  my  shoulder.  '  This  way,  Martin,'  he  said 
in  a  low  voice.  '  I  want  a  word  with  you.' 

I  went  with  him  across  the  road,  and  leaned  against  the 
fallen  trunk  of  a  tree,  which  was  just  visible  in  the  dark- 
ness. Through  the  unglazed  windows  of  the  house  we  could 
see  the  lighted  rooms,  the  Countess  and  her  attendants  mov- 
ing about,  Fraulein  Anna  sitting  with  her  feet  tucked  up  in 
a  corner,  the  servants  bringing  in  the  meal.  All  in  a  frame 
of  blackness,  with  the  hoarse  sounds  of  the  camp  in  our  ears, 
and  the  pitiful  wailing  of  the  beggars  dying  away  in  the 
distance.  It  was  a  dark  night,  and  still. 

The  Waldgrave  laughed.  '  Dilly,  dilly,  dilly !  Come 
and  be  killed,'  he  muttered.  'Two  thousand  soldiers? 
Two  thousand  cut-throats,  Martin.  Pappenheim's  black 
riders  were  gentlemen  beside  these  fellows ! ' 

'  Things  may  look  more  cheerful  by  daylight,'  I  said. 

'  Or  worse ! '  he  answered. 

I  told  him  frankly  that  I  thought  the  sooner  we  were 
out  of  the  camp  the  better. 

'If  we  can  get  out!  Of  course,  it  is  better  for  the  mouse 
when  it  is  out  of  the  trap ! '  he  answered  with  a  sneer.  '  But 
there  is  the  rub.' 

1  He  would  not  dare  to  detain  us/  I  said.  I  did  not  believe 
my  words,  however. 


132  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  He  will  dare  one  of  two  things,'  the  Waldgrave  answered 
firmly,  'you  may  be  sure  of  that:  either  he  will  march  your 
lady  back  to  Heritzburg,  and  take  possession  in  her  name, 
with  this  tail  at  his  heels  —  in  which  case,  Heaven  help  her 
and  the  town.  Or  he  will  keep  her  here.' 

I  tried  to  think  that  he  was  prejudiced  in  the  matter,  and 
that  his  jealousy  of  General  Tzerclas  led  him  to  see  evil 
where  none  was  meant.  But  his  fears  agreed  so  exactly 
with  my  own,  that  I  found  it  difficult  to  treat  his  sugges- 
tions lightly.  What  the  camp  was,  I  had  seen ;  how  help- 
less we  were  in  the  midst  of  it,  I  knew;  what  advantage 
might  be  taken  of  us,  I  could  imagine. 

Presently  I  found  an  argument.  (  You  forget  one  thing, 
my  lord,'  I  said.  '  General  Tzerclas  is  on  his  way  to  the 
south.  In  a  week  we  shall  be  with  the  main  army  at 
Nuremberg,  and  able  to  appeal  to  the  King  of  Sweden  or 
the  Landgrave  or  a  hundred  friends,  ready  and  willing  to 
help  us.' 

The  Waldgrave  laid  his  hand  on  my  arm.  '  He  does  not 
intend  to  go  south,'  he  said. 

I  could  not  believe  that;  and  I  was  about  to  state  my 
objections  when  the  noisy  march  of  a  body  of  men  ap- 
proaching along  the  road  disturbed  us.  The  Waldgrave 
raised  his  hand  and  listened. 

'  Another  time  ! '  he  muttered —  already  we  began  to  fear 
and  be  secret  — '  Go  now  ! ' 

In  a  trice  he  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  while  I  went 
more  slowly  into  the  house,  where  I  found  my  lady  inquir- 
ing anxiously  after  him.  I  thought  that  the  young  lord 
would  follow  me  in,  and  I  said  I  had  seen  him.  But  he  did 
not  come,  and  presently  wild  strains  of  music,  rising  on  the 
air  outside,  took  us  all  by  surprise  and  effectually  diverted 
my  lady's  thoughts. 

The  players  proved  to  be  the  general's  band,  sent  to  sere- 
nade us.  As  the  weird,  strange  sweetness  of  the  air,  with 
its  southern  turns  and  melancholy  cadences,  stole  into  the 
room  and  held  the  women  entranced  —  while  moths  flut- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  133 

tered  round  the  lights  and  the  servants  pressed  to  the  door 
to  listen,  and  now  and  then  a  harsh  scream  or  a  distant 
oath  betrayed  the  surrounding  savagery  —  I  felt  my  eyes 
drawn  to  my  lady's  face.  She  sat  listening  with  a  rapt 
expression.  Her  eyes  were  downcast,  her  lashes  drooped 
and  veiled  them ;  but  some  pleasant  thought,  some  playful 
remembrance  curved  her  full  lips  and  dimpled  her  chin. 
What  was  the  thought,  I  wondered  ?  was  it  gratification, 
pleasure,  complacency,  or  only  amusement  ?  I  longed  to 
know. 

On  one  point  I  was  resolved.  My  lady  should  not  sleep 
that  night  until  she  had  heard  the  warning  I  had  received 
from  Von  Werder.  To  that  end  I  did  all  I  could  to  catch 
her  alone,  but  in  the  result  I  had  to  content  myself  with  an 
occasion  when  only  Fraulein  Anna  was  with  her.  Time 
pressed,  and  perhaps  the  Dutch  girl's  presence  confused 
me,  or  the  delicacy  of  the  position  occurred  to  me  in  mediis 
rebus,  as  I  think  the  Fraulein  called  it.  At  any  rate,  I 
blurted  out  the  story  a  little  too  roughly,  and  found  myself 
called  sharply  to  order. 

'  Stay ! '  my  lady  said,  and  I  saw  too  late  that  her  colour 
was  high.  '  Not  so  fast,  man  !  I  think,  Martin,  that  since 
we  left  Heritzburg  you  have  lost  some  of  your  manners ! 
See  to  it,  you  recover  them.  Who  told  you  this  tale  ? ' 

'  Herr  von  Werder,'  I  answered  with  humility  ;  and  I  was 
going  on  with  ray  story.  But  she  raised  her  hand. 

1  Herr  von  Werder  ! '  she  said  haughtily.     '  Who  is  he  ?  ' 

'  The  gentleman  who  supped  with  us  last  night,'  I  re- 
minded her. 

She  stamped  the  floor  impatiently.  '  Fool ! '  she  cried,  '  I 
know  that !  But  who  is  he  ?  Who  is  he  ?  He  should  be 
some  great  man  to  prate  of  my  affairs  so  lightly.' 

I  stuttered  and  stammered,  and  felt  my  cheek  redden 
with  shame.  I  did  not  know.  And  the  man  was  not  here, 
and  I  could  not  reproduce  for  her  the  air  of  authority,  the 
tone  and  look  which  had  imposed  on  me  :  which  had  given 
weight  to  words  I  might  otherwise  have  slighted,  and  im- 


134  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

portance  to  a  warning  that  I  now  remembered  was  a  stran- 
ger's. I  stood,  looking  foolish. 

My  lady  saw  her  advantage.  '  Well,'  she  said  harshly, 
'  who  is  he  ?  Out  with  it,  man  !  Do  not  keep  us  waiting.' 

I  muttered  that  I  knew  no  more  of  him  than  his  name. 

'  Perhaps  not  that,'  she  retorted  scornfully. 

I  admitted  that  it  might  be  so. 

My  lady's  eyes  sparkled  and  her  cheeks  flamed.  '  Before 
Heaven,  you  are  a  fool ! '  she  cried.  '  How  dare  you  come 
to  me  with  such  a  story  ?  How  dare  you  traduce  a  man 
without  proof  or  warranty !  And  my  cousin !  Why,  it 
passes  belief.  On  the  word  of  a  nameless  wanderer  ad- 
mitted to  our  table  on  sufferance  you  accuse  an  honourable 
gentleman,  our  kinsman  and  our  host,  of  —  Heaven  knows 
of  what,  I  don't !  I  tell  you,  you  shame  me  ! '  she  continued 
vehemently.  'You  abuse  my  kindness.  You  abuse  the 
shelter  given  to  us.  You  must  be  mad,  stark  mad,  to  think 
such  things.  Or ' 

She  stopped  on  a  sudden  and  looked  down  frowning. 
When  she  looked  up  again  her  face  was  changed.  'Tell 
me,'  she  said  in  a  constrained  voice,  '  did  any  one  —  did  the 
Waldgrave  Rupert  suggest  this  to  you  ? ' 

1  God  forbid  ! '  I  said. 

The  answer  seemed  to  embarrass  her.  '  Where  is  he  ? ' 
she  asked,  looking  at  me  suspiciously. 

I  told  her  that  I  did  not  know. 

'Why  did  he  not  come  to  supper  ? '  she  persisted. 

Again  I  said  I  did  not  know. 

'You  are  a  fool ! '  she  replied  sharply.  But  I  saw  that  her 
anger  had  died  down,  and  I  was  not  surprised  when  she 
continued  in  a  changed  tone,  '  Tell  me ;  what  has  General 
Tzerclas  done  to  you  that  you  dislike  him  so  ?  What  is 
your  grudge  against  him,  Martin  ? ' 

'I  have  no  grudge  against  him,  your  excellency/  I 
answered. 

'  You  dislike  him  ?  ' 

I  looked  down  and  kept  silence. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  135 

'  I  see  you  do,'  my  lady  continued.  '  Why  ?  Tell  me 
why,  Martin.' 

But  I  felt  so  certain  that  every  word  I  said  against  him 
would  in  her  present  mood  only  set  him  higher  in  her 
favour  that  I  was  resolved  not  to  answer.  At  last,  being 
pressed,  I  told  her  that  I  distrusted  him  as  a  soldier  of 
fortune  —  a  class  the  countryfolk  everywhere  hold  in  ab- 
horrence; and  that  nothing  I  had  seen  in  his  camp  had 
tended  to  lessen  the  feeling. 

'  A  soldier  of  fortune  ! '  she  replied,  with  a  slight  tinge  of 
wonder  and  scorn.  '  What  of  that  ?  My  uncle  was  one. 
Lord  Craven,  the  Englishman,  the  truest  knight-errant  that 
ever  followed  banished  queen  —  if  all  I  hear  be  true  —  he 
is  one ;  and  his  comrade,  the  Lord  Horace  Vere.  And 
Count  Leslie,  the  Scotchman,  who  commands  in  Stralsund 
for  the  Swede,  I  never  heard  aught  but  good  of  him.  And 
Count  Thurn  of  Bohemia  —  him  I  know.  He  is  a  brave 
man  and  honourable.  A  soldier  of  fortune  ! '  she  continued 
thoughtfully,  tapping  the  table  with  her  fingers.  'And 
why  not  ?  Why  not  ?  ' 

My  choler  rose  at  her  words.  '  He  has  the  sweepings  of 
Germany  in  his  train,'  I  muttered.  '  Look  at  his  camp,  my 
lady.' 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  *  A  camp  is  not  a  nunnery,' 
she  said.  '  And  at  any  rate,  he  is  on  the  right  side.' 

'  His  own  ! '  I  exclaimed. 

I  could  have  bitten  my  tongue  the  next  moment,  but  it 
was  too  late.  My  lady  looked  at  me  sternly.  '  You  grow 
too  quick-witted,'  she  said.  '  I  have  talked  too  much  to 
you,  I  see.  I  am  no  longer  in  Heritzburg,  but  I  will  be 
respected,  Martin.  Go  !  go  at  once,  and  to-morrow  be  more 
careful.' 

Result  —  that  I  had  offended  her  and  done  no  good.  I 
wondered  what  the  Waldgrave  would  say,  and  I  went  to 
bed  with  a  heart  full  of  fancies  and  forebodings,  that,  bat- 
tening on  themselves,  grew  stronger  and  more  formidable 
the  longer  I  lay  awake.  The  night  was  well  advanced  and 


136  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  our  quarters  was  quiet. 
The  sentry's  footsteps  echoed  monotonously  as  he  tramped 
up  and  down  the  wooden  platform  before  them.  I  could 
almost  hear  the  breathing  of  the  sleepers  in  the  other  rooms, 
the  creak  of  the  floor  as  one  rose  or  another  turned.  There 
was  nothing  to  keep  me  from  sleep. 

But  my  thoughts  would  not  be  confined  to  the  four  walls 
or  the  neighbourhood;  my  ears  lent  themselves  to  every 
sound  that  came  from  the  encircling  camp,  the  coarse  song 
chanted  by  drunken  revellers,  the  oath  of  anger,  the  shrill 
taunt,  the  cry  of  surprise.  And  once,  a  little  before  mid- 
night, I  heard  something  more  than  these :  a  sudden  roar 
of  voices  that  swelled  up  and  up,  louder  and  fiercer,  and 
then  died  in  a  moment  into  silence  —  to  be  followed  an 
instant  later  by  fierce  screams  of  pain  —  shriek  upon  shriek 
of  such  mortal  agony  and  writhing  that  I  sat  up  on  my 
pallet,  trembling  all  over  and  bathed  in  perspiration;  and 
even  the  sleepers  turned  and  moaned  in  their  dreams.  The 
cries  grew  fainter.  Then,  thank  Heaven !  silence. 

But  the  incident  left  me  in  no  better  mood  for  sleep,  and 
with  every  nerve  on  the  stretch  I  was  turning  on  the  other 
side  for  the  twentieth  time  when  I  fancied  I  heard  whisper- 
ing outside ;  a  faint  muttering  as  of  some  one  talking  to  the 
sentinel.  The  sentry's  step  still  kept  time,  however,  and  I 
was  beginning  to  think  that  my  imagination  had  played  me 
a  trick,  when  the  creak  of  a  door  in  the  house,  followed  by 
a  rustling  sound,  confirmed  my  suspicions.  I  rose  to  my 
feet.  The  next  instant  a  low  scream  and  the  harsh  voice  of 
the  watchman  told  me  that  something  had  happened. 

I  passed  out  of  the  house,  without  alarming  any  one,  and 
was  not  surprised  to  find  Jacob  pinning  a  captive  against 
the  wall  with  one  hand,  while  he  threatened  him  with  his 
pike.  There  was  just  light  enough  to  see  this,  and  no 
more,  the  wide  eaves  casting  a  black  shadow  on  the  pris- 
oner's face. 

'  What  is  it,  Jacob  ? '  I  said,  going  to  his  assistance. 
'  Whom  have  you  got  ?  ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  137 

'I  do  not  know,'  he  answered  sturdily,  'but  I'll  keep 
him.  He  was  trying  to  get  in  or  out.  Steady  now,'  he 
added  gruffly  to  his  captive,  'or  I  will  spoil  your  beauty 
for  you!' 

<  In  or  out  ? '  I  said. 

'  Ay,  I  think  he  was  coming  out.' 

There  was  a  fire  burning  in  the  road  a  score  of  paces 
away.  I  ran  to  it  and  fetched  a  brand,  and  blowing  the 
smouldering  wood  into  a  blaze,  threw  the  light  on  the 
fellow's  face.  Jacob  dropped  his  hand  with  a  cry  of 
surprise,  and  I  recoiled.  His  prisoner  was  a  woman  — 
Marie  Wort. 

She  hung  down  her  head,  trembling  violently.  Jacob 
had  thrust  back  the  hood  from  her  face,  and  her  loosened 
hair  covered  her  shoulders. 

'  What  does  it  mean  ? '  I  cried,  struggling  with  my  be- 
wilderment. '  Why  are  you  here,  girl  ?  ' 

Instead  of  answering  she  cowered  nearer  the  wall,  and 
I  saw  that  she  was  trying  to  hide  something  behind  her 
under  cover  of  her  cloak. 

'  What  have  you  got  there  ? '  I  said  quickly,  laying  my 
hand  on  her  wrist. 

She  flashed  a  look  at  me,  her  small  teeth  showing,  a 
mutinous  glare  on  her  little  pale  face.  '  Not  my  chain ! ' 
she  snapped. 

I  dropped  her  arm  and  recoiled  as  if  she  had  struck  me  ; 
though  the  words  did  not  so  much  hurt  as  surprise  me. 
And  I  was  quick  to  recover  myself.  <  What  is  it,  then  ?  ' 
I  said,  returning  to  the  attack.  (  I  must  know,  Marie,  and 
what  you  are  doing  here  at  this  time  of  night.' 

As  she  did  not  answer  I  put  her  cloak  aside,  and  dis- 
covered, to  my  great  astonishment,  that  she  was  holding 
a  platter  full  of  food.  It  shook  in  her  hand.  She  began 
to  cry. 

'  Heavens,  girl ! '  I  exclaimed  in  my  wonder,  '  have  you 
not  had  enough  to  eat  ? ' 

She  lifted  her  head  and  looked  at  me  through  her  tears, 


138  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

her  eyes  sparkling  with  indignation.  '  I  have  ! '  she  said 
almost  fiercely.  '  But  what  of  these  ? '  —  and  she  flung 
her  disengaged  hand  abroad,  with  a  gesture  I  did  not  at 
once  comprehend.  '  Can  you  sleep  in  their  beds,  and  lie  in 
their  houses,  and  eat  from  their  meal-tubs,  and  think  of 
them  starving,  and  not  get  up  and  help  them  ?  Can  you 
hear  them  whining  for  food  like  dogs,  and  starve  them  as 
you  would  not  starve  a  dog  ?  I  cannot.  I  cannot ! '  she 
repeated  wildly.  '  But  you,  you  others,  you  of  the  north, 
you  have  no  hearts  !  You  lie  soft  and  care  nothing ! ' 

'  But  what  —  who  are  starving  ?  '  I  said  in  amazement. 
Her  words  outran  my  wits.  'And  where  is  the  man  in 
whose  bed  I  am  lying  ? ' 

'  Under  the  sky !  In  the  ditch  ! '  she  answered  pas- 
sionately. 'Are  you  blind?'  she  continued,  speaking 
more  quietly  and  drawing  nearer.  'Do  you  think  your 
general  built  this  village  ?  If  not,  where  are  the  people 
who  lived  in  it  a  month  ago  ?  Whining  for  a  crust  at  the 
camp  gate.  Living  on  offal,  or  starving.  Fighting  with 
the  dogs  for  bones.  I  heard  a  man  outside  this  house  cry 
that  it  was  all  his,  and  that  he  was  starving.  You  drove 
him  off.  I  heard  his  wife  and  babes  wailing  outside  a 
while  ago,  and  I  came  out.  I  could  not  bear  it.' 

I  looked  at  Jacob.  He  nodded  gravely.  '  There  was  a 
woman  here,  with  a  child,'  he  said. 

'  Heaven  forgive  us  ! '  I  cried.  Then  —  '  Go  in,  girl,'  I 
continued.  '  I  will  see  the  food  put  where  they  will  get 
it ;  but  do  you  go  to  bed.' 

She  obeyed  meekly,  leaving  me  wondering  at  the  strange 
mixture  of  courage  and  fearfulness  which  makes  up  some 
women,  and  those  the  best ;  who  fly  from  a  rat,  yet  face 
every  extremity  of  pain  without  flinching.  A  Romanist  ? 
And  what  of  that  ?  It  seemed  to  me  a  small  thing,  as  I 
watched  her  gliding  in.  If  she  knew  little  and  that  awry, 
she  loved  much. 

I  looked  at  Jacob  and  he  at  me.  '  Is  it  true,  do  you 
think  ?  '  I  said. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  139 

'  I  doubt  it  is,'  he  answered  stolidly,  dropping  the  smoul- 
dering brand  on  the  ground  and  treading  it  out  with  his 
heel.  *  I  have  seen  soldiers  and  sutlers  and  women  since 
I  came  into  camp  ;  and  beggars.  But  peasants  not  one. 
I  doubt  we  have  eaten  them  out,  Master  Martin.  But 
soldiers  must  live.' 

The  little  heap  of  red  embers  glowed  dully  in  the  road 
and  gave  no  light.  The  darkness  shut  us  in  on  every  side, 
even  as  the  camp  shut  us  in.  I  looked  out  into  it  and 
shuddered.  It  seemed  to  my  eyes  peopled  with  horrors : 
with  gaping  mouths  that  cursed  us  as  they  set  in  death, 
with  lean  hands  that  threatened  us,  and  tortured  faces  of 
maids  and  children ;  with  the  despair  of  the  poor.  Ghosts 
of  starving  men  and  women  glared  at  us  out  of  spectral 
eyes.  And  the  night  seemed  full  of  omens. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE   OPENING   OF    A    DUEL. 

I  NEVER  knew  where  the  Waldgrave  spent  that  night,  but 
I  think  it  must  have  been  with  the  fairies.  For  when  he 
showed  himself  early  next  morning,  before  my  lady  ap- 
peared, I  noticed  at  once  a  change  in  him ;  and  though  at 
first  I  was  at  a  loss  to  explain  it,  I  presently  saw  that  that 
had  happened  whioh  might  have  been  expected.  The 
appearance  of  a  rival  had  laid  the  spark  to  his  heart,  and 
while  the  love-light  was  in  his  eyes,  a  new  gravity,  a  new 
gentleness  added  grace  to  his  bearing.  The  temper  and 
pettiness  of  yesterday  were  gone.  Other  things,  too,  I 
saw  —  that  his  face  flushed  when  my  lady's  voice  was 
heard  at  the  door,  that  his  eyes  shone  when  she  entered. 
He  had  a  nosegay  of  flowers  for  her  —  wild  flowers  he 
had  gathered  in  the  early  morning,  with  the  dew  upon 
them  —  which  he  offered  her  with  a  little  touch  of 
humility. 


I4o  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

Doubtless  the  fret  and  passion  of  yesterday  had  not  been 
thrown  away  on  him.  He  had  learned  in  the  night  both 
that  he  loved,  and  the  lowliness  that  comes  of  love.  It 
wanted  but  that,  it  seemed  to  me,  to  make  him  perfect  in 
a  woman's  eyes ;  and  I  saw  my  lady's  dwell  very  kindly 
on  him  as  he  turned  away.  A  little,  I  think,  she  won- 
dered; his  tone  was  so  different,  his  desire  to  please  so 
transparent,  his  avoidance  of  everything  that  might  offend 
so  ready.  But  such  service  wins  its  way ;  and  my  lady's 
own  kindness  and  gaiety  disposing  her  to  meet  his  ad- 
vances, she  seemed  in  a  few  moments  to  have  forgotten 
whatever  cause  of  complaint  he  had  given  her. 

The  general's  band  came  early,  to  play  while  she  ate,  but 
I  noticed  with  satisfaction  that  the  music  moved  her  little 
this  morning,  either  because  she  was  taken  up  with  talking 
to  her  companion,  or  because  the  romantic  circumstances 
of  the  evening,  darkness  and  vague  surroundings,  and  the 
lassitude  of  fatigue,  were  lacking.  With  the  sunshine  and 
fresh  air  pouring  in  through  the  open  windows,  the  strains 
which  yesterday  awoke  a  hundred  associations  and  stirred 
mysterious  impulses  fell  almost  flat. 

The  Waldgrave  made  no  attempt  to  resume  the  conver- 
sation he  had  held  with  me  by  the  fallen  tree.  Either  love, 
or  respect  for  his  mistress,  made  him  reticent,  or  he  was 
practising  self-control.  And  I  said  nothing.  But  I  un- 
derstood, and  set  myself  keenly  to  watch  this  duel  between 
the  two  men.  If  I  read  the  general's  intentions  aright,  the 
young  lord's  influence  with  the  Countess  could  scarcely 
grow  except  at  the  general's  expense;  his  suit,  if  success- 
ful, must  oust  that  which  the  elder  man,  I  was  sure,  medi- 
tated. And  this  being  so,  all  my  wishes  were  on  one  side. 
My  fear  of  the  general  had  so  grown  in  the  night,  that  I 
suspected  him  of  a  hundred  things ;  and  could  only  think 
of  him  as  an  antagonist  to  be  defeated  —  a  foe  from 
whom  we  must  expect  the  worst  that  force  or  fraud  could 
effect. 

He  came  soon  after  breakfast  to  pay  his  respects  to  my 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  141 

lady,  and  alighted  at  the  door  with  great  attendance  and 
endless  jingling  of  bits  and  spurs.  He  brought  with  him 
several  of  his  officers,  and  these  he  presented  to  the  Coun- 
tess with  so  much  respect  and  politeness  that  even  I  could 
find  no  fault  with  the  action.  One  or  two  of  the  men, 
rough  Silesians,  were  uncouth  enough ;  but  he  covered 
their  mistakes  so  cleverly  that  they  served  only  to  set  off 
his  own  good  breeding. 

He  had  not  been  in  the  room  five  minutes,  however, 
before  I  saw  that  he  remarked  the  change  which  had  come 
over  the  Waldgrave,  and  perhaps  some  corresponding 
change  in  my  lady's  manner ;  and  I  saw  that  it  chafed 
him.  He  did  not  lose  his  air  of  composure,  but  he  grew 
less  talkative  and  more  watchful.  Presently  he  let  drop 
something  aimed  at  the  young  man ;  a  light  word,  inof- 
fensive, yet  likely  to  draw  the  other  into  a  debate.  But 
the  Waldgrave  refrained,  and  the  general  soon  afterwards 
rose  to  take  leave. 

He  had  come,  it  seemed,  to  invite  my  lady's  presence  at 
a  shooting-match  which  was  to  take  place  outside  the  camp 
at  noon.  He  spoke  of  the  match  as  a  thing  arranged 
before  our  arrival,  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  plan  had 
its  origin  in  a  desire  to  please  my  lady  and  fill  the  day. 
Pie  spoke,  besides,  of  a  hunting-party  to  take  place  next 
morning,  with  a  banquet  at  his  quarters  to  follow ;  of  a 
review  fixed  for  the  day  after  that ;  and,  in  the  still  remoter 
distance,  of  races  and  a  trip  to  a  neighboring  waterfall,  with 
other  diversions. 

I  heard  the  arrangements  made,  and  my  lady's  frank 
acceptance,  with  a  sinking  heart;  for  under  the  perfect 
courtesy  of  his  manner,  behind  the  frank  desire  to  give 
her  pleasure  which  he  professed,  I  felt  his  power.  While 
he  spoke,  though  I  could  find  no  fault  with  him,  I  felt  the 
steel  hand  inside  the  silk  glove.  And  these  plans  ?  Even 
my  lady,  though  her  eyes  sparkled  with  anticipation  — 
she  loved  pleasure  with  a  healthy,  honest  love  —  looked  a 
little  startled. 


142  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

'But  I  thought  that  you  were  marching  southwards, 
General  Tzerclas,'  she  said.  '  At  once  I  mean  ?  ' 

'  I  am,'  he  answered,  bowing  easily  —  he  had  already 
risen.  '  But  an  army,  Countess,  marches  more  slowly  than 
a  travelling  party.  And  I  am  expecting  despatches  which 
may  vary  my  route.' 

'  From  the  King  of  Sweden  ? ' 

'  Yes/  he  answered.  '  The  King  has  arrived  at  Nurem- 
berg, and  expects  shortly  to  be  attacked  by  Wallenstein, 
who  is  on  the  march  from  Egra.' 

'  But  shall  you  be  in  time  for  the  battle  ? '  she  asked,  her 
eyes  shining. 

'I  hope  so,'  he  replied,  smiling.  'Or  my  part  may  be 
less  glorious  —  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  convoys.' 

'  I  should  not  like  that ! '  she  exclaimed. 

'  Nevertheless,  it  is  a  very  necessary  function,'  he  said. 
'  As  the  Waldgrave  Rupert  will  tell  your  excellency.' 

The  young  lord  agreed,  and  a  moment  later  the  general 
with  his  jingling  attendants  took  his  leave  and  clattered 
out  and  mounted  before  the  door.  My  lady  went  to  the 
window  and  waved  adieu  to  him,  and  he  lowered  his  great 
plumed  hat  to  his  stirrup. 

'  At  noon  ? '  he  cried,  making  his  horse  curvet  in  the 
roadway. 

'  Without  fail ! '  my  lady  answered  gaily,  and  she  stood 
at  the  window  looking  out  until  the  last  gleam  of  steel 
sank  in  a  cloud  of  dust  and  the  beggars  closed  in  before 
the  door. 

The  Waldgrave  leaned  against  the  wall  behind  her  with 
his  lips  set  and  a  grave  face.  But  he  said  nothing,  and 
when  she  turned  he  had  a  smile  for  her.  It  seemed  to 
me  that  these  two  had  changed  places ;  the  Waldgrave  had 
grown  older  and  my  lady  younger. 

A  few  minutes  before  noon,  Captain  Ludwig  and  a  sub- 
officer  of  the  same  rank,  a  Pole  with  long  hair,  came  to 
conduct  my  lady  to  the  scene  of  the  match.  They  were 
arrayed  in  all  their  finery,  and  made  a  show  of  such  eti- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  143 

quette  as  they  knew.  For  our  part  we  did  not  keep  them 
waiting ;  five  minutes  saw  us  mounted  and  riding  through 
the  camp.  This  wore,  to-day,  a  more  martial  and  less  dis- 
orderly appearance.  The  part  we  traversed  was  clear  of 
women  and  gamesters,  while  sentries  stationed  at  the  gate, 
and  a  guard  of  honour  which  fell  in  behind  us  at  the  same 
spot,  proved  that  the  eye  of  the  master  could  even  here 
turn  chaos  into  order.  I  do  not  know  that  the  change 
pleased  me  much,  for  if  it  lessened  my  dread  of  the  cut- 
throats by  whom  we  were  surrounded,  it  increased  the  awe 
in  which  I  held  their  chief. 

The  shooting  was  fixed  to  take  place  in  a  narrow  valley 
diverging  from  the  river,  a  mile  or  more  from  the  camp. 
It  was  a  green,  gently-sloping  place,  such  as  sheep  love ; 
but  the  sheep  had  long  ago  been  driven  into  quarters,  and 
the  shepherd  to  the  listing-sergeant  or  the  pike.  A  few 
ruined  huts  told  the  tale  ;  the  hills  which  rose  on  either 
side  were  silent  and  untrodden. 

Not  so  the  valley  itself,  which  lay  bathed  in  sunshine.  It 
roared  with  the  babel  of  a  great  multitude.  A  straight 
course,  two  hundred  yards  in  length,  had  been  roped  off 
for  the  shooting,  and  round  this  the  crowd  thronged  and 
pushed,  or,  breaking  here  or  there  into  fragments,  wan- 
dered up  and  down  outside  the  lines,  talking  and  gesticu- 
lating, so  that  the  place  seemed  to  swarm  with  life  and 
movement  and  colour. 

I  had  seen  such  a  spectacle  and  as  large  a  crowd  at 
Heritzburg  —  once  a  year,  it  may  be.  But  there  the  gath- 
ering had  not  the  wild  and  savage  elements  which  here 
caught  the  eye ;  the  hairy,  swarthy  faces  and  black,  gleam- 
ing eyes,  the  wild  garb,  and  brandished  weapons  and  fierce 
gestures,  that  made  this  crowd  at  once  curious  and  for- 
midable. The  babel  of  unknown  tongues  rose  on  every  side. 
Poland  and  Lithuania,  Scotland  and  the  Khine,  equally 
with  Hungary,  Italy,  and  Bohemia,  had  their  representa- 
tives in  this  strange  army. 

General  Tzerclas  and  his  staff  occupied  a  mound  near  the 


144  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

lower  end  of  the  valley.  On  seeing  our  party  approach,  he 
rode  down  to  meet  us,  followed  by  thirty  or  forty  officers, 
whose  dress  and  equipments,  even  more  than  those  of  their 
men,  fixed  the  attention ;  for  while  some  wore  steel  caps 
and  clumsy  cuirasses,  with  silk  sashes  and  greasy  trunk- 
hose,  others,  better  acquainted  with  the  mode,  affected 
huge  flapped  hats  and  velvet  doublets,  with  falling  collars 
of  lace,  and  untanned  boots  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the 
thigh.  One  or  two  wore  almost  complete  armour ;  others, 
gay  silks,  stained  with  Avine  and  weather.  Their  horses, 
too,  were  of  all  sizes,  from  tall  Flemings  to  small,  wiry 
Hungarians,  and  their  arms  were  as  various.  One  huge  fat 
man,  whose  flesh  swayed  as  he  moved,  carried  a  steel  mace 
at  his  saddle-bow.  Another  swept  along  with  a  lance,  rak- 
ing the  sky  behind  him.  Great  horse-pistols  were  com- 
mon, and  swords  with  blades  so  long  that  they  ploughed 
the  ground. 

Varying  in  everything  else,  in  one  thing  these  warlike 
gentry  agreed.  As  they  came  prancing  towards  us,  I  did 
not  see  a  face  among  them  that  did  not  repel  me,  nor  one 
that  I  could  look  at  with  respect  or  liking.  Where  dissipa- 
tion had  not  set  its  seal  so  plainly  as  to  oust  all  others,  or 
some  old  wound  did  not  disfigure,  cruelty,  greed,  and  reck- 
lessness were  written  large.  The  glare  of  the  bully  shone 
alike  under  flapped  hat  and  iron  cap.  One  might  show  a 
swollen  visage,  flushed  with  excess,  and  another  a  thin, 
white,  cruel  face;  but  that  was  all  the  odds. 

The  sight  of  such  a  crew  should  have  opened  ray  lady's 
eyes  and  enlightened  her  as  to  the  position  in  which  we 
stood.  But  women  see  differently  from  men.  Too  often 
they  take  swagger  for  courage,  and  recklessness  for  man- 
hood. And,  besides,  the  very  defects  of  these  men,  their 
swashbuckling  manners  and  banditti  guise,  only  set  off 
the  more  the  perfect  dress  and  quiet  bearing  of  their 
leader,  who,  riding  in  their  midst,  seemed,  with  his  cold, 
calm  face  and  air  of  pride,  like  nothing  so  much  as  the 
fairy  prince  among  the  swine. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  145 

He  wore  a  suit  of  black  velvet,  with  a  falling  collar  of 
Utrecht  lace,  and  a  white  sash.  A  feather  adorned  his  hat, 
and  his  furniture  and  sword-hilt  were  of  steel.  This,  I 
afterwards  learned,  was  a  favourite  costume  with  him.  At 
odd  times  he  relapsed  into  finery,  but  commonly  he  affected 
a  simplicity  which  suited  his  air  and  features,  and  lost  noth- 
ing by  comparison  with  the  tawdriness  of  his  attendants. 

He  sprang  from  his  horse  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  and, 
resigning  it  to  a  groom,  took  my  lady's  rein  and,  bare- 
headed, led  her  to  the  summit  of  the  mound.  The  Wald- 
grave  with  Fraulein  Anna  followed,  and  the  rest  of  us  as 
closely  as  we  could.  The  officers  crowded  thick  upon  us 
and  would  have  edged  us  out,  but  I  had  primed  my  men, 
and  though  they  quailed  before  the  others'  scowls  and 
curses,  they  kept  together,  so  that  we  not  only  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  watching  the  sport  from  a  position  immediately 
behind  the  Countess,  but  heard  all  that  passed. 

At  the  end  of  the  open  space  I  have  mentioned  stood 
three  targets  in  a  line.  These  were  peculiar,  for  they 
consisted  of  dummies  cased  in  leather,  shaped  so  exactly 
to  the  form  of  men,  that,  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
yards,  it  was  only  by  the  face  I  could  tell  that  they  were 
not  men.  Where  the  features  should  have  been  was  a 
whitened  circle,  and  on  the  breast  of  each  a  heart  in 
chalk.  They  were  so  life-like  that  they  gave  an  air  of 
savagery  to  the  sport,  and  made  me  shudder.  When  I 
had  scanned  them,  I  turned  and  found  Captain  Ludwig 
at  my  elbow. 

'What  is  it?'  he  said,  grinning.  'Our  targets?  Fine 
practice,  comrade.  They  are  the  general's  own  invention, 
and  I  have  known  them  put  to  good  use.' 

'  How  ? '  I  asked.  He  spoke  under  his  breath.  I  adopted 
the  same  tone. 

'  You  will  know  by  and  by,'  he  answered,  with  a  wink. 
'  Sometimes  we  find  a  traitor  in  the  camp ;  or  we  catch  a 
spy.  Then  —  but  you  need  not  fear.  Drawing-room  prac- 
tice to-day.  There  is  no  one  in  them.' 

10 


146  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'In  them  ?'  I  muttered,  unable  to  take  my  eyes  from  his 
face. 

He  nodded.  'Ay,  in  them/  he  answered,  smiling  at  my 
look  of  consternation.  'Time  has  been  I  have  known 
one  in  each,  and  cross-bow  practice.  That  makes  them 
squeal !  With  powder  and  a  flint-lock  —  pouf  !  It  is  all 
over.  Unless  you  put  the  butter-fingers  first;  then  there 
is  sport,  perhaps.' 

Little  wonder  that  after  that  I  paid  no  attention  to 
the  shooting,  which  had  begun ;  nor  to  the  brawling  and 
disagreement  which  from  the  first  accompanied  it,  and 
which  it  needed  all  the  general's  authority  to  quell.  I 
thought  only  of  our  position  among  these  wretches.  If  I 
had  felt  any  doubt  of  General  Tzerclas'  character  before, 
the  doubt  troubled  me  no  more. 

But  it  did  occur  to  me  that  Ludwig  might  be  practising 
on  me,  and  I  turned  to  him  sharply.  '  I  see  ! '  I  said,  pre- 
tending that  I  had  found  him  out.  'A  good  joke,  captain!' 

He  grinned  again.  '  You  would  not  call  it  one,'  he  said 
dryly,  '  if  you  were  once  in  the  leather.  But  have  it  your 
own  way.  Come,  there  is  a  good  shot,  now.  He  is  a 
Swiss,  that  fellow.' 

But  I  could  take  no  interest  in  the  shooting,  with  that 
ghastly  tale  in  my  head.  I  felt  for  the  moment  the  veriest 
coward.  We  were  ten  in  the  midst  of  two  thousand  —  ten 
men  and  four  helpless  women !  Our  own  strength  could 
not  avail  us,  and  we  had  nothing  else  under  heaven  to  de- 
pend upon,  except  the  scruples,  or  interest,  or  fears  of  a 
mercenary  captain ;  a  man  whose  hardness  the  thin  veil  of 
politeness  barely  hid,  who  might  be  scrupulous,  gentle, 
merciful  —  might  be,  in  a  word,  all  that  was  honourable. 
But  whence,  then,  this  story  ?  Why  this  tale  of  cruelty, 
passing  the  bounds  of  discipline  ? 

It  so  disheartened  me  that  for  some  time  I  scarcely 
noticed  what  was  passing  before  me;  and  I  might  have 
continued  longer  in  this  dull  state  if  the  Waldgrave's  voice, 
civilly  declining  some  proposition,  had  not  caught  my  ear. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  147 

I  gathered  then  what  the  offer  was.  Among  the  matches 
was  one  for  officers,  and  in  this  the  general  was  politely 
inviting  his  guest  to  compete.  But  the  Waldgrave  con- 
tinued firm.  'You  are  very  good,'  he  answered  with  per- 
fect frankness  and  good  temper.  '  But  I  think  I  will  not 
expose  myself.  I  shoot  badly  with  a  strange  gun.' 

It  was  so  unlike  him  to  miss  a  chance  of  distinction,  or 
underrate  his  merits,  that  I  stared.  He  was  changed,  in- 
deed, to-day;  or  he  thought  the  position  very  critical,  the 
need  of  caution  very  great. 

The  general  continued  to  urge  him  ;  and  so  strongly  that 
I  began  to  think  that  our  host  had  his  own  interests  to 
serve. 

'  Oh,  come,'  he  said,  in  a  light,  gibing  tone  which  just 
stopped  short  of  the  offensive.  'You  must  not  decline. 
There  are  five  competitors  —  two  Bohemians,  a  Scot,  a 
Pole,  and  a  Walloon  ;  but  no  German.  You  cannot  refuse 
to  shoot  for  Germany,  Waldgrave  ? ' 

The  Waldgrave  shook  his  head,  however.  '  I  should  do 
Germany  small  honour,  I  am  afraid,'  he  said. 

The  general  smiled  unpleasantly.  '  You  are  too  modest,' 
he  said. 

'  It  is  not  a  national  failing,'  the  Waldgrave  answered, 
smiling  also. 

f  I  fancy  it  must  be,'  the  general  retorted.  '  And  that  is 
the  reason  we  see  so  little  of  Germans  in  the  war ! ' 

The  words  were  almost  an  insult,  though  a  dull  man, 
deceived  by  the  civility  of  the  speaker's  tone,  might  have 
overlooked  it.  The  Waldgrave  understood,  however.  I 
saw  him  redden  and  his  brow  grow  dark.  But  he  re- 
strained himself,  and  even  found  a  good  answer. 

1  Germany  will  find  her  champions,'  he  said,  '  when  she 
seriously  needs  them.' 

'  Abroad ! '  the  general  replied,  speaking  in  a  flash,  as  it 
were.  The  instant  the  word  was  said,  I  saw  that  he  re- 
pented it.  He  had  gone  farther  than  he  intended,  and 
changed  his  tone.  *  Well,  if  you  will  not,  you  will  not,'  he 


LADY  ROTHA. 

continued  smoothly.  'Unless  our  fair  cousin  can  succeed 
where  I  have  failed,  and  persuade  you.' 

'I?'  my  lady  said — she  had  not  been  attending  very 
closely.  '  I  will  do  what  I  can.  Why  will  you  not  enter, 
Rupert?  You  are  a  good  shot.' 

'  You  wish  me  to  shoot  ?  '  the  Waldgrave  said  slowly. 

'  Of  course ! '  she  answered.  '  I  think  it  is  a  shame  Gen- 
eral Tzerclas  has  so  few  German  officers.  If  I  could  shoot, 
I  would  shoot  for  the  honour  of  Germany  myself.' 

The  Waldgrave  bowed.     'I  will  shoot,"  he  said  coldly. 

1  Good  ! '  General  Tzerclas  answered,  with  a  show  of  bon- 
homie. 'That  is  excellent.  Will  you  descend  with  me? 
Each  competitor  is  to  fire  two  shots  at  the  figure  at  eighty 
paces.  Those  who  lodge  both  shots  in  the  target,  to  fire 
one  shot  at  the  head  only.' 

The  young  lord  bowed  and  prepared  to  follow  him. 

'Comrade,'  Ludwig  said  in  my  ear,  as  I  watched  them 
go,  '  your  master  had  better  have  stood  by  his  first  word.' 

'  Why  ? ' 

'  He  will  do  no  good.' 

'Why  not?'  I  asked. 

'The  Bohemian  yonder  —  the  fat  man — will  shoot  round 
him.  His  little  pig's  eyes  see  farther  than  others.  Be- 
sides, the  devil  has  blessed  his  gun.  He  cannot  miss.' 

'  What !  That  tun  of  flesh  ? '  I  cried,  for  he  was  point- 
ing to  the  gross,  unwieldy  man,  at  whose  saddle-bow  I  had 
marked  the  iron  mace.  '  Is  he  a  Bohemian  ? ' 

Ludwig  nodded.  '  Count  Waska,  they  call  him.  There  is 
no  man  in  the  camp  can  shoot  with  him  or  drink  with  him.' 

'  We  shall  see,'  I  said  grimly. 

I  had  little  hope,  however.  The  Waldgrave  was  a  good 
shot;  but  a  man  was  not  likely  to  have  a  reputation  for 
shooting  in  such  a  camp  as  this,  where  every  one  handled 
pistol  or  petronel,  unless  his  aim  was  something  out  of  the 
common.  And  listening  to  the  talk  round  me,  I  found  that 
Count  Waska's  comrades  took  his  victory  for  granted. 

Their  confidence  explained  General  Tzerclas'  anxiety  to 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  149 

trap  the  Waldgrave  into  shooting.  The  jealous  feeling 
which  had  been  all  on  the  Waldgrave's  side  yesterday, 
had  spread  to  him  to-day.  He  wished  to  see  his  rival 
beaten  in  my  lady's  presence. 

I  longed  to  disappoint  him ;  I  felt  sore  besides  for 
the  honour  of  Germany.  I  could  not  leave  my  lady,  or 
I  would  have  gone  down  to  see  that  the  Waldgrave  had 
fair  play,  and  a  clean  pan,  and  silence  when  he  fired.  But 
I  watched  with  as  much  excitement  as  any  in  the  field,  all 
that  passed ;  I  doubt  if  I  ever  took  part  in  a  match  myself 
with  greater  keenness  and  interest  than  I  felt  as  a  spec- 
tator of  this  one. 

From  our  elevated  position  we  could  see  everything,  and 
the  sight  was  a  curious  one.  The  rabble  of  spectators  — 
soldiers  and  women,  sutlers  and  horse-boys  —  stretched 
away  in  two  dark  lines,  ten  deep,  being  kept  off  the  range 
by  a  dozen  men  armed  with  whips.  The  clamour  of  their 
hoarse  shouting  went  up  continuously,  and  sometimes  almost 
deafened  us.  Immediately  below  us,  at  the  foot  of  the 
mound,  the  champions  and  their  friends  were  gathered, 
settling  rests,  keying  up  the  wheels  of  their  locks,  and 
trying  the  flints.  Owing  to  the  Waldgrave's  presence, 
which  somewhat  imposed  upon  the  other  officers  both  by 
reason  of  his  rank  and  strangeness,  the  contest  seemed 
likely  to  be  conducted  more  decently  than  those  which  had 
preceded  it.  He  was  invited  to  shoot  first,  and  when  he 
excused  himself  on  the  ground  that  he  was  not  yet  familiar 
with  his  gun,  Count  Waska  good-humouredly  consented  to 
open  the  match. 

His  weapon,  I  remarked  —  and  I  treasured  up  the  know- 
ledge and  have  since  made  use  of  it  —  was  smaller  in  the 
bore  than  the  others.  He  came  forward  and  fired  very  care- 
lessly, scarcely  stooping  to  the  rest ;  but  he  hit  the  figure 
fairly  in  the  breast  with  both  bullets  and  retired,  a  stolid 
smile  on  his  large  countenance. 

The  Waldgrave  was  the  next  to  advance,  and  if  he  felt 
one  half  of  the  anxiety  I  felt  myself,  it  was  a  wonder  he 


150  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

let  off  his  gun  at  all.  General  Tzerclas  had  returned  to  the 
Countess's  side,  and  was  speaking  to  her ;  but  he  paused  at 
the  critical  moment,  and  both  stood  gazing,  my  lady  with 
her  lips  parted  and  her  eyes  bright.  The  desire  to  see  the 
stranger  shoot  was  so  general  that  something  like  silence 
prevailed  while  he  aimed.  I  had  time  to  conjure  up  half 
a  dozen  miseries  —  the  gun  might  not  be  true,  the  powder 
weak ;  and  then,  bang !  I  saw  the  figure  rock.  He  had  hit 
it  fairly  in  the  breast,  and  I  breathed  again. 

My  lady  cried,  f  Vivat !  good  shot ! '  and  he  looked  up  at 
her  before  he  primed  his  pan  for  a  second  trial.  This  time 
I  felt  less  fear,  the  crowd  less  interest.  The  babel  began 
afresh.  His  second  bullet  struck  somewhat  lower,  but 
struck ;  and  he  stood  back,  his  face  flushed  with  pleasure. 
Honour,  at  any  rate,  was  safe. 

The  Scot  hit  with  both  balls,  the  Pole  with  one  only. 
Last  of  all  the  Walloon,  a  grim  dark  officer  in  a  stained 
buff  coat,  who  seemed  to  be  unpopular  with  the  soldiery, 
fired  in  the  midst  of  such  a  storm  of  gibes  and  hisses  that  I 
wondered  he  could  aim  at  all.  He  did,  however,  and  hit 
with  his  second  bullet.  Even  so  he  and  the  Pole  stood  out, 
leaving  the  Waldgrave,  Count  Waska,  and  the  Scot  to  fire 
at  the  head. 

Huge  was  the  clamour  which  followed  on  this,  half  the 
company  bellowing  out  offers  to  stake  all  that  they  had  on 
the  Count  —  money,  chains,  armour.  Meanwhile  I  looked 
at  the  general  to  see  how  he  took  it.  He  had  fallen  silent, 
and  my  lady  also.  They  stood  gazing  down  on  the  com- 
petitors and  their  preparations,  as  if  they  were  aware  that 
more  hung  on  the  issue  than  a  simple  match  at  arms. 

Count  Waska  advanced  for  the  final  shot,  and  this  time 
he  made  ample  use  of  the  rest,  aiming  long  and  carefully  over 
it.  He  fired,  and  I  looked  eagerly  at  the  target.  A  roar 
of  applause  greeted  the  shot.  The  bullet  had  pierced  the 
whitened  face  a  little  to  the  left,  high  up. 

It  was  the  Waldgrave's  turn  now.  He  came  forward, 
with  an  air  of  quiet  confidence,  and  set  his  weapon  on  the 


LADY  ROTHA.  151 

crutch.  This  time  two  or  three  voices  were  raised,  gibing 
him;  the  crowd  was  growing  jealous  of  its  champion's 
reputation.  I  longed  to  be  down  among  them,  and  I  saw 
my  lady's  eyes  flash  and  her  colour  rise.  She  looked 
indignantly  at  Tzerclas.  But  the  general's  face  was  set. 
He  did  not  seem  to  hear. 

Flash !  Plop !  In  a  moment  I  was  shouting  with  the 
rest,  shouting  lustily  for  the  honour  of  the  house !  The 
Waldgrave  had  lodged  his  ball  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
face  towards  the  right-hand  side.  If  Waska  had  put  in 
the  one  eye,  he  had  put  in  the  other. 

We  shouted.  But  the  camp  hung  silent,  gloomily  won- 
dering whether  this  were  luck  or  skill.  And  the  general 
stood  silent  too.  It  was  not  until  my  lady  had  cried, 
'Vivat!  Vivat  Weimar!'  in  her  frank,  brave  voice,  that 
he  spoke  and  echoed  the  compliment. 

When  he  had  spoken,  sullen  silence  fell  upon  the  crowd 
again.  I  saw  men  look  at  us  —  not  pleasantly;  until  the 
Scot  by  taking  his  place  at  the  crutch  diverted  their  atten- 
tion. It  seemed  to  me  that  he  was  an  hour  arranging  the 
rest  and  his  weapon,  scraping  his  priming  this  way  and 
that,  and  putting  in  a  fresh  flint  at  the  last  moment.  At 
length  he  fired.  A  roar  of  laughter  followed.  He  had 
missed  the  target  altogether. 

How  it  was  arranged  I  do  not  know,  but  we  saw  at  once 
that  Waska  and  the  Waldgrave  were  about  to  take  another 
shot.  The  Bohemian,  as  he  levelled  his  weapon  with  care, 
looked  up  at  us. 

'  We  have  put  in  his  eyes,'  he  said  in  his  guttural  tones. 
'  I  propose  to  put  in  his  nose.  If  his  excellency  can  better 
that,  I  give  him  the  bone.' 

He  aimed  very  diligently,  amid  such  a  silence  you  could 
have  heard  a  feather  drop,  and  fired.  He  did  as  he  had 
promised.  His  ball  pierced  the  very  middle  of  the  face,  a 
little  below  and  between  the  two  shots. 

A  wild  roar  of  applause  greeted  the  achievement.  Even 
we  who  felt  our  honour  at  stake  shouted  with  the  rest  and 


152  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

threw  up  our  caps ;  while  my  lady  took  off  in  her  admira- 
tion a  slender  gold  chain  which  she  wore  round  her  neck 
and  flung  it  to  the  champion,  crying  'Vivat  Bohemia! 
Vivat  Waska ! ' 

He  bowed  with  grotesque  gallantry,  and  one  of  the 
bystanders  picked  up  the  chain  and  gave  it  to  him.  We 
smiled;  for,  too  fat  to  kneel  or  stoop,  he  could  no  more 
have  recovered  the  gift  himself  than  he  could  have  taken 
wings  and  flown.  Fraulein  Anna  muttered  something  about 
Tantalus  and  water,  but  I  did  not  understand  her,  and  in  a 
moment  the  Waldgrave  gave  me  something  else  to  think 
about. 

He  stepped  forward  when  the  noise  and  cheering  had 
somewhat  subsided,  and  like  his  antagonist  he  looked  up 
also. 

'  I  do  not  see  what  there  is  left  for  me  to  do,'  he  said, 
with  a  gallant  air.  '  I  could  give  him  a  mouth,  but  I  fear 
I  may  set  it  on  awry.' 

Thrice  he  took  aim,  and,  dissatisfied,  forbore  to  fire. 
The  crowd,  silent  at  first,  and  confident  of  their  champion's 
victory,  began  to  jeer.  At  length  he  pulled.  Plop !  The 
smoke  cleared  away.  An  inch  below  Waska's  last  shot 
appeared  another  orifice.  The  Waldgrave  had  put  in  the 
mouth. 

We  waved  our  caps  and  shouted  until  we  were  hoarse ; 
and  the  crowd  shouted.  But  it  soon  became  evident,  amid 
the  universal  clamour  and  uproar,  that  there  were  two 
parties :  one  acclaiming  the  Waldgrave's  success,  and  an- 
other and  larger  one  crying  fiercely  that  he  was  beaten  — 
that  he  was  beaten !  that  his  shot  was  not  so  near  the 
centre  of  the  target  as  Count  Waska's.  The  Waldgrave's 
promise  to  make  the  mouth  had  been  heard  by  a  few  only, 
mainly  his  friends ;  and  while  these,  headed  by  the  Bohe- 
mian, who  showed  that  his  clumsy  carcase  still  contained 
some  sparks  of  chivalry,  tried  to  explain  the  matter  to 
others,  the  camp  with  one  voice  bellowed  against  him,  the 
more  excited  brandishing  fists  and  weapons  in  the  air, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  153 

while  the  less  moved  kept  up  a  stubborn  and  monotonous 
chant  of  '  Waska  !  Waska !  Waska ! ' 

The  only  person  unaffected  by  the  tumult  appeared  to  be 
the  Waldgrave  himself;  who  stood  looking  up  at  us  in 
silence,  a  smile  on  his  face.  Presently,  the  noise  still 
continuing,  I  saw  him  clap  Count  Waska  on  the  shoulder, 
and  the  two  shook  hands.  The  Count  seemed  by  his  ges- 
tures—  for  the  uproar  and  tumult  were  so  great  that  all 
was  done  in  dumb  show  —  to  be  deprecating  his  retreat. 
But  the  younger  man  persisted,  and  by-and-by,  after  salut- 
ing the  other  competitors,  he  turned  away,  and  began  to 
force  his  way  up  the  mound.  It  was  time  he  did;  the 
crowd  had  burst  its  bounds  and  flooded  the  range.  The 
scene  below  was  now  a  sea  of  wild  confusion. 

Such  an  ending  seemed  stupid  in  the  extreme ;  in  any 
place  where  ordinary  discipline  prevailed,  it  would  have 
been  easy  to  procure  silence  and  restore  order.  And  my 
lady,  her  face  flushed  with  indignation,  turned  impatiently 
to  the  general,  to  see  if  he  would  not  interfere.  But  he 
was,  or  he  affected  to  be,  powerless.  He  shrugged  his 
shoulders  with  an  indulgent  smile,  and  a  moment  later, 
seeing  the  Waldgrave  on  his  way  to  join  us  and  the  crowd 
still  persistent,  he  gave  the  word  to  retire.  The  officers, 
who  in  the  last  hour  had  pressed  on  us  inconveniently,  fell 
back,  and  waiting  only  for  the  Waldgrave  to  reach  his 
horse,  we  rode  down  the  mound,  and  turned  our  faces 
towards  the  camp. 

For  a  space,  and  while  the  uproar  still  rang  in  my  ears,  I 
could  scarcely  speak  for  indignation.  Then  came  a  reaction. 
I  saw  my  lady's  face  as  she  rode  alongside  the  Waldgrave 
and  talked  to  him.  And  my  spirits  rose.  General  Tzer- 
clas  had  the  place  on  her  other  hand,  but  she  had  not  a 
word  for  him.  It  was  not  so  much  that  the  young  lord  had 
distinguished  himself  and  done  well,  but  that  in  an  awk- 
ward position  he  had  borne  himself  with  dignity  and  self- 
control.  That  pleased  her. 

I  saw  her  eyes  shine  as  she  looked  at  him,  and  her  mouth 


154  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

grow  tender;  and  I  told  myself  with  exultation  that  th-3 
Waldgrave  had  done  something  more  than  rival  Waska — > 
he  had  scored  the  first  hit  in  the  fight,  and  that  no  light 
one.  The  general  would  be  wise,  if  he  looked  to  his  guard ; 
fortunate,  if  he  did  not  look  too  late. 


CHAPTEE  XV. 

THE    DUEL   CONTINUED. 

I  FELL  to  wondering,  as  we  rode  home,  whether  we  should 
find  all  safe ;  for  we  had  left  Marie  Wort  and  my  lady's 
woman  to  keep  house  with  two  only  of  the  men.  From 
that,  again,  I  strayed  into  thoughts  of  the  chain,  and  of 
Marie  herself,  so  that  the  very  head  of  what  happened 
when  we  reached  the  house  escaped  me.  The  first  I  knew 
of  it,  Frauleiu  Anna's  horse  backed  suddenly  into  mine, 
and  brought  us  all  up  short  with  a  deal  of  jostling  and 
plunging.  When  I  looked  forward  to  learn  what  was  amiss, 
I  saw  a  man  lying  on  his  face  under  my  lady's  horse,  and  so 
near  it  that  the  beast's  feet  were  touching  his  head.  The 
man  was  crying  out  something  in  a  pitiful  tone,  and  two  or 
three  of  the  general's  officers  who  were  riding  abreast  of  me 
were  swearing  roundly,  and  there  was  great  confusion. 

General  Tzerclas  said  something,  but  my  lady  overbore 
him.  'What  is  it?'  I  heard  her  cry.  'Get  up,  man,  and 
speak.  Don't  lie  there.  What  is  it  ? ' 

The  man  rose  to  his  knees,  and  cried  out, '  Justice,  justice, 
lady  ! '  in  a  wild  sort  of  way,  adding  something  —  which  I 
could  not  understand,  for  he  spoke  in  a  vile. patois — about 
a  house.  He  was  in  a  miserable  plight,  and  looked  scarcely 
human.  His  face  was  sallow,  his  eyes  shone  with  famine, 
his  shrunken  limbs  peered  through  mud-stained  rags  that 
only  half  covered  him. 

'  Which  is  your  house  ? '  my  lady  asked  gently.  And 
when  one  of  the  officers  who  had  ridden  up  abreast  of  her 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  155 

would  have  intervened,  she  raised  her  hand  with  a  ges- 
ture there  was  no  mistaking.  l  Which  is  your  house  ?  *  she 
repeated. 

The  man  pointed  to  the  one  in  which  we  had  our 
quarters. 

« What !  That  one  ? '  my  lady  cried  incredulously.  '  Then 
what  has  brought  you  to  this  ? '  For  the  creature  looked 
the  veriest  scarecrow  that  ever  hung  about  a  church-porch. 
His  head  and  feet  had  no  covering,  his  hair  was  foully 
matted.  He  was  filthy,  hideous,  famine-stricken. 

And  desperate.  For,  half-cringing,  half-defiant,  he  pointed 
his  accusing  finger  at  the  general.  '  He  has!  He  and  his 
army  ! '  he  cried.  l  That  house  was  mine.  Those  fields 
were  mine.  I  had  cattle,  they  have  eaten  them.  I  had 
wood,  they  have  burned  it.  I  had  meat,  they  have  taken 
it.  I  was  rich,  and  I  am  this !  I  had,  and  I  have  not  — 
only  a  wife  and  babes,  and  they  are  dying  in  a  ditch.  May 
the  curse  of  God ' 

'  Hush ! '  my  lady  cried,  in  an  unsteady  voice.  And,  with- 
out adding  a  word,  she  turned  to  General  Tzerclas  and 
looked  at  him;  as  if  this  were  Heritzburg,  and  she  the 
judge,  he  the  criminal. 

Doubtless  the  position  was  an  awkward  one.  But  he 
showed  himself  equal  to  it.  'There  has  been  foul  play 
here,'  he  said  firmly.  '  I  think  I  remember  the  man's  face.' 
Then  he  turned  and  raised  his  hand.  '  Let  all  stand  back/ 
he  said  in  a  stern,  curt  tone. 

We  fell  back  out  of  hearing,  leaving  him  and  my  lady 
with  the  man.  For  some  time  the  general  seemed  to  be 
putting  questions  to  the  fellow,  speaking  to  my  mistress 
between  whiles.  Presently  he  called  sharply  for  Ludwig. 
The  captain  went  forward  to  them,  and  then  it  was  very 
plain  what  was  going  on,  for  the  general  raised  his  voice, 
and  made  the  rating  he  administered  to  his  subaltern  audi- 
ble even  by  us.  Back  Ludwig  came  by-and-by,  with  a  dark 
sneer  on  his  face,  and  we  saw  the  general  hand  money  to 
the  man. 


156  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Teuf el ! '  one  of  the  fellows  who  rode  beside  me  mut- 
tered, surprise  in  his  voice.  'When  the  general  gives, 
look  to  your  necks.  It  will  cost  some  one  dear,  this ! 
I  would  not  be  in  that  clod's  shoes  for  his  booty  ten  times 
told ! ' 

Possibly.  But  I  was  not  so  much  interested  on  the 
clown's  account  as  on  my  lady's ;  and  one  needed  only  half 
an  eye  to  see  what  the  general's  liberality  had  effected  witli 
her.  She  was  all  smiles  again,  speaking  to  him  with  the 
utmost  animation,  leaning  towards  him  as  she  rode.  She 
forgot  the  Waldgrave,  who  had  fallen  back  with  the  rest  of 
us ;  she  forgot  all  but  the  general.  He  went  with  her  to 
the  door  of  the  house,  gave  his  hand  to  help  her  to  dis- 
mount, lingered  talking  to  her  on  the  threshold.  And  my 
heart  sank.  I  could  have  gnashed  my  teeth  with  anger  as 
I  stood  aside  uncovered,  waiting  for  him  to  go. 

For  how  could  we  combat  the  man  ?  Such  an  episode  as 
this,  which  should  have  opened  my  lady's  eyes  to  his  true 
character,  served  only  to  restore  him  to  favour  and  blind 
her  more  effectually.  It  had  undone  all  the  good  of  the 
afternoon ;  it  had  effaced  alike  the  Waldgrave's  success  and 
the  general's  remissness ;  it  had  given  Tzerclas,  who  all 
day  had  been  losing  slowly,  the  upper  hand  once  more.  I 
felt  the  disappointment  keenly. 

I  suppose  it  was  that  which  made  me  think  of  consulting 
Fraulein  Anna,  and  begging  her  to  use  her  influence  with 
my  lady  to  get  out  of  the  camp.  At  any  rate,  the  idea 
occurred  to  me.  I  could  not  catch  her  then ;  but  later  in 
the  evening,  when  some  acrobats,  whom  the  general  had 
sent  for  the  Countess's  diversion,  were  performing  outside, 
and  my  lady  had  gone  out  to  the  fallen  tree  to  see  them  the 
better,  I  found  the  Fraulein  alone  in  the  outer  room.  She 
looked  up  at  my  entrance. 

'  Who  is  it  ? '  she  said  sharply,  peering  at  me  with  her 
white,  short-sighted  face.  'Oh,  it  is  yon,  Mr.  Thickhead, 
is  it  ?  I  know  whom  you  have  sneaked  in  to  see ! '  she 
added  spitefully. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  157 

1  That  is  well,'  I  answered  civilly.  '  For  I  came  in  to  see 
you,  Fraulein.' 

'  Oh ! '  she  retorted,  nodding  her  head  in  a  very  unpleas- 
ant manner.  '  Then  you  want  something.  I  can  guess  what 
it  is.  But  go  on.' 

'  If  I  want  something,'  I  answered, '  and  I  do,  it  is  in  your 
own  behalf,  Frauleiu.  You  heard  what  I  said  to  my  lady 
last  night  ?  I  did  not  persuade  her.  Can  you  persuade  her 
—  to  leave  the  carnp  and  its  commander  ? ' 

Fraulein  Max  shook  her  head.  '  Why  should  I  ? '  she 
said,  smoothing  out  her  skirt  with  her  hands,  and  looking 
at  me  with  a  cunning  smile.  '  What  have  I  to  gain  by  per- 
suading her,  Master  Schwartz  ? ' 

'Safety,'  I  said. 

'  Oh  ! '  she  cried  ironically.  l  Then  let  me  remind  you  of 
something.  When  we  were  all  safe  and  comfortable  at 
Heritzburg  —  safe,  mind  you  —  who  was  it  disturbed  us  ? 
Who  was  it  stirred  up  my  lady  to  make  trouble  —  more 
improbi  anseris  —  and  though  I  warned  him  what  would 
come  of  it,  persisted  in  it  until  we  had  all  to  flee  at  night 
like  so  many  vagrants  ?  Ay,  and  have  never  had  a  quiet 
night  since  !  Who  was  that,  Master  Martin  ?  ' 

'  Fraulein,'  I  answered  patiently,  forbearing  to  remind 
her  how  much  she  had  been  herself  in  fault,  '  I  may  have 
been  wrong  then.  It  does  not  alter  the  situation  now.' 

'  Does  it  not  ? '  she  replied.  '  But  I  think  it  does. 
You  had  your  way  at  Heritzburg,  and  what  came  of  it  ? 
Trouble  and  misery.  You  want  your  way  now,  but  I  shall 
not  help  you  to  it.  I  have  had  enough  of  your  way,  and 
1  do  not  like  it.' 

She  laughed  triumphantly,  seeing  me  silenced;  and  I 
stood  looking  at  her,  wondering  what  argument  I  could  use. 
Doubtless  she  had  had  a  comfortless  time  on  the  journey 
from  Heritzburg,  jogging  through  fords  and  over  ruts,  and 
along  steep  places,  wet,  tired,  and  scared,  deprived  of  her 
books  and  all  her  home  pleasures.  She  had  had  time  and 
to  spare  to  lay  up  many  a  grudge  against  me.  Now  it  was 


158  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

her  turn,  and  I  read  in  her  face  her  determination  to  make 
the  most  of  it. 

I  might  frighten  her ;  and  that  seemed  my  only  chance. 
'Well,  Frauleiu,'  I  said  after  a  pause,  'you  may  have  been 
right  then,  and  you  may  be  right  now.  But  I  hope  you 
have  counted  the  cost.  If  my  lady  shows  herself  deter- 
mined to  leave,  to-morrow  and  perhaps  the  next  day  the 
power  of  going  will  remain  in  her  hands.  Later  it  will 
have  passed  from  her.  Familiarity  breeds  contempt,  and 
even  the  Countess  of  Heritzburg  cannot  stay  long  in  such 
a,  camp  as  this,  where  nothing  is  respected,  without  losing 
that  respect  which  for  the  moment  protects  her.  In  a  day 
or  two,  in  a  few  days,  the  hedge  will  fall.  And  then, 
Fraulein,  we  may  all  look  to  ourselves.' 

But  Fraulein  Anna  laughed  shrilly.  '  0  tu  anser  !  '  she 
cried  contemptuously.  '  Open  your  eyes !  Cannot  you  see 
.that  the  general  is  knee-deep  in  love  with  her  ?  In  a  week 
he  will  be  head  over  ears,  and  her  slave!' 

I  stared  at  her.  Doubtless  she  knew ;  she  was  a  woman. 
I  drew  a  deep  breath.  '  Well,'  I  said,  '  and  what  of  that  ? ' 

She  looked  at  me  spitefully.  '  Ask  my  lady  ! '  she  said. 
'  How  should  I  know  ? ' 

I  returned  her  gaze,  and  thought  awhile.  Then  I  said 
coldly,  'I  think  it  is  you  who  are  the  fool,  Fraulein.  Take 
it  for  granted  that  what  you  tell  me  is  true.  Have  you 
considered  what  will  happen  should  my  lady  repulse  him  ? 
What  will  happen  to  her  and  to  us  ? ' 

'She  will  not,'  Fraulein  Max  answered. 

But  I  saw  that  the  shaft  had  gone  home.  She  fidgeted 
on  her  seat.  And  I  persisted.  '  Still,  if  she  does  ? '  I  said. 
'What  then?' 

'  She  will  not ! '  she  answered.     '  She  must  not ! ' 

'  By  Heaven ! '  I  cried,  'you  are  on  his  side  ! ' 

She  blinked  at  me  with  her  short-sighted  eyes.  'And 
why  not  ?  '  she  said  slowly.  '  On  whose  side  should  I  be  ? 
My  Lord  Waldgrave's  ?  He  never  gives  me  a  word,  and 
seldom  recognises  my  existence.  On  yours  ?  If  you  want 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  159 

help,  go  to  the  black-eyed  puling  girl  you  have  brought  in, 
who  is  always  creeping  and  crawling  round  us,  and  would 
oust  me  if  she  and  you  could  manage  it  and  she  had  the 
breeding.  Chut!  don't  talk  to  me,'  she  continued  mali- 
ciously, the  colour  rising  to  her  pale  cheeks.  ( I  wonder  that 
you  dare  to  come  to  me  with  such  proposals  !  Is  my  lady 
to  be  ruled  by  her  servants  ?  Has  she  no  judgment  of  her 
own  ?  Why,  you  fool,  I  have  but  to  tell  her,  and  you  are 
disgraced ! ' 

'  As  you  please,  Fraulein,'  I  said  sullenly,  stung  to  anger 
by  one  part  of  her  harangue.  'But  as  to  Marie  Wort ' 

( Marie  Wort  ? '  she  cried,  catching  me  up  and  mocking 
my  tone.  '  Who  said  anything  about  her,  I  should  like  to 
know  ?  Though  for  my  part,  had  I  my  way,  the  popish 
chit  should  be  whipped  ! ' 

'  Fraulein  ! '  I  cried. 

She  laughed  bitterly.  '  Oh,  you  are  fools,  you  men ! '  she 
said.  'But  I  have  made  you  angry,  and  that  is  enough. 
Go!  Yes,  go.  I  have  supped  on  folly.  Go,  before  your 
mistress  comes  in ;  or  I  must  out  with  all,  and  lose  a  power 
over  you.' 

I  went  sullenly.  While  we  had  been  talking  the  room 
had  been  growing  dark.  Then  it  had  grown  light  again 
with  a  sinoky,  dancing  glare  that  played  fantastically  on 
the  walls  and  seemed  to  rise  and  sink  with  the  murmur  of 
applause  outside.  They  had  brought  torches  made  of  pine- 
knots  that  my  lady  might  see  the  longer,  and  in  the  yellow 
circle  of  light  which  these  shed,  the  mountebanks,  mon- 
strously dressed  and  casting  weird  shadows,  were  wrestling 
and  leaping  and  writhing.  The  light  reached,  but  fitfully 
and  by  flashes,  the  log  on  which  my  lady  sat  enthroned, 
with  General  Tzerclas  and  the  Waldgrave  at  her  side.  Still 
farther  away  the  crowd  surged  and  laughed  and  gibed  in 
the  darkness. 

I  looked  at  my  lady  and  found  one  look  enough.  I  read 
the  utter  hopelessness  of  the  attempt  T  had  just  made. 
She  was  enjoying  herself.  Fear  was  not  natural  to  her, 


160  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

and  she  saw  nothing  to  fear  either  in  the  man  beside  her  or 
the  crowd  beyond.  Suspicion  was  no  part  of  her  character, 
and  she  saw  nothing  to  suspect.  Had  I  won  Fraulein  Max 
over  to  ray  side,  as  I  felt  sure  that  the  general  had  bought 
her  to  his,  I  should  equally  have  had  my  trouble  for  my 
pains,  and  no  more. 

My  only  hope  lay  in  the  Waldgrave.  He  alone,  could  he 
once  warm  into  flower  the  love  that  hung  trembling  in  the 
bud,  might  move  her  as  I  would  have  her  moved.  But, 
then,  the  time  ?  Every  hour  we  remained  where  we  were, 
every  day  that  rose  and  found  us  in  the  camp,  rendered 
retreat  more  difficult,  the  general's  plans  more  definite. 
He  might  not  yet  have  made  up  his  mind ;  he  might  not 
yet  have  hardened  his  heart  to  the  point  of  employing 
force ;  his  passion  might  be  still  in  the  bud,  his  ambition 
unshaped.  But  how  long  dared  I  give  him  ? 

Assured  that  here  lay  the  stress,  I  watched  the  young 
lord's  progress  with  an  anxiety  scarcely  less  than  his  own. 
And  the  longer  I  watched  the  higher  rose  my  hopes.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  he  went  steadily  forward  in  favour, 
while  the  general  stood  still.  More  than  once  during  the 
next  two  days  the  latter  showed  himself  irritable  or  capri- 
cious. The  iron  hand  began  to  push  through  the  silken 
glove.  And  though,  on  every  one  of  these  occasions,  Tzer- 
clas  covered  his  mistake  with  the  dexterity  of  a  man  of  the 
world,  and  my  lady's  eyes  could  scarcely  be  said  to  be 
opened,  a  little  coolness  resulted,  of  which  the  Waldgrave 
had  the  benefit. 

He,  on  his  part,  seemed  imperturbable.  Love  had  to  all 
appearance  changed  his  nature.  A  dozen  times  in  the  two 
days  the  impulse  to  fly  at  his  rival's  throat  must  have  been 
strong  upon  him,  yet  through  all  he  remained  calm,  pleas- 
ant, and  courteous,  and  carried  an  old  head  on  young 
shoulders. 

I  wondered  at  last  why  he  did  not  speak,  for  I  marked 
the  cloud  on  the  general's  brow  growing  darker  and  darker, 
and  I  found  the  forced  inaction  and  suspense  intolerable. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  161 

( 

Then  I  gathered,  I  cannot  say  why,  that  the  Waldgrave 
would  not  speak  until  after  the  great  banquet  to  which  the 
general  had  bidden  my  lady.  It  had  been  deferred  a  day 
or  two,  but  on  the  third  day  after  the  shooting-match  it 
took  place. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  GENERAL'S  BANQUET. 

I  SUPPOSE  it  was  not  love  only  that  enabled  the  Waldgrave 
to  carry  himself  so  prudently  at  this  time ;  but  with  it  a 
sense  of  the  peril  in  which  we  all  stood.  He  was  so  far 
from  betraying  this,  however,  that  no  one  could  have  worn 
an  air  more  gallant  or  seemed  in  every  way  more  free  from 
care.  General  Tzerclas  had  supplied  us  with  a  couple  of 
tailors,  and  there  were  rich  stuffs  to  be  bought  in  the  camp  ; 
and  the  young  lord  did  not  neglect  these  opportunities. 
When  he  came  on  the  morning  of  the  great  day  to  attend  my 
lady  to  the  banquet,  he  wore  a  suit  of  dark-blue  velvet  with  a 
falling  collar  of  white  lace,  and  sash  and  points  of  lighter 
blue  —  the  latter  setting  off  his  fair  complexion  to  advan- 
tage. His  hair,  which  had  grown  somewhat,  flowed  from 
under  a  broad-leafed  hat  decked  with  an  ostrich  feather, 
and  he  wore  golden  spurs,  and  high  boots  with  the  tops 
turned  down.  As  he  caracoled  up  and  down  before  the 
house,  with  the  sun  shining  on  his  fair  head,  he  looked  to 
my  eyes  as  beautiful  as  Apollo.  What  the  women  thought 
of  him  I  do  not  know,  but  I  saw  my  lady  gazing  at  him 
from  a  window  when  his  back  was  turned,  and  then,  again, 
when  he  looked  towards  the  house,  she  was  gone.  And  I 
thought  I  knew  what  that  meant. 

She  wore,  herself,  a  grey  riding-coat  with  a  little  silver 
braid  about  it,  and  a  silver  belt;  and  we  all  made  what 
show  we  could;  so  that  when  we  started  to  the  general's 
quarters  we  were  something  to  look  at.  The  camp  itself 
nothing  could  cleanse,  but  the  village  had  been  swept  and 

11 


162  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

the  street  watered.  Pennons  and  cornets  waved  here  and 
there  in  the  sunshine,  and  green  boughs  garnished  the  fronts 
of  the  houses.  Two  tall  poles,  painted  after  the  Venetian 
fashion  and  hung  with  streamers,  stood  before  the  general's 
quarters,  the  windows  of  which  were  almost  hidden  by  a 
large  trophy  formed  of  glittering  pikes  and  flags  of  many 
colours.  The  road  here  was  strewn  with  green  rushes, 
and  opposite  the  house  were  ranked  twelve  trumpeters, 
who  proclaimed  my  lady's  arrival  with  a  blare  which  shook 
the  village. 

On  either  side  of  the  door  a  guard  of  honour  was  drawn 
up.  I  was  not  disposed  to  admire  anything  much,  but  it 
must  be  confessed  that  the  sun  shining  on  pike  and  corse- 
let and  steel  cap,  and  on  all  the  gay  and  gaudy  colours  and 
green  leaves,  produced  a  lively  and  striking  effect.  The 
moment  my  lady's  horse  stopped,  four  officers  stepped  from 
the  doorway  and  stood  at  attention ;  after  whom  the  gen- 
eral himself  appeared  bare-headed,  and  held  my  lady's 
stirrup  while  she  dismounted.  The  Waldgrave  performed 
a  like  service  for  Frauleiu  Anna,  and  I  and  Jacob  for  Marie 
Wort  and  the  women. 

Our  host  first  conducted  my  lady  into  a  withdrawing-room, 
where  were  only  Count  Waska  and  three  colonels.  This 
room,  which  was  small,  was  fitted  with  a  rich  carpet  and 
chairs  covered  with  Spanish  leather,  as  good  as  any  my 
lady  had  in  the  castle  at  Heritzburg ;  and  the  walls  were 
hidden  behind  Cordovan  hangings.  Here  among  other 
things  were  a  large  cage  of  larks  and  a  strange,  misshapen 
dwarf  that  stood  hardly  as  high  as  my  waist-belt,  but  was 
rumoured  to  be  forty  years  old.  He  said  several  witty 
things  to  my  lady,  and  one  or  two  that  I  fancy  the  general 
had  taught  him,  for  they  brought  the  blood  to  her  cheeks. 
On  a  table  stood  another  very  rare  and  curious  thing  —  a 
gold  or  silver-gilt  fountain  that  threw  up  distilled  waters, 
and  continually  cooled  and  sweetened  the  air.  There  were 
besides,  gold  cups  and  plates  and  jewelled  arms  and  Venice 
glass,  which  fairly  dazzled  me ;  so  that  as  I  stood  at  the 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  163 

door  with  Jacob  and  the  two  maids  I  wondered  at  the  rich- 
ness and  splendour  of  everything,  and  yet  could  not  get 
out  of  my  head  the  squalor  of  the  hot,  seething  camp  out- 
side, and  the  poverty  of  the  country  round,  which  the  army 
had  eaten  as  bare  as  my  hand. 

After  a  short  interval  spent  in  listening  to  the  dwarf's 
quips  and  cranks,  General  Tzerclas  conducted  my  lady  with 
much  ceremony  to  the  next  room,  where  the  banquet  was 
laid.  The  floor  of  this  larger  room  was  strewn  with  scented 
rushes,  the  walls  being  adorned  with  trophies  of  arms  and 
heads  of  deer  and  wolves,  peering  from  ambushes  of  green 
leaves.  At  the  upper  end,  where  was  the  private  door  of 
entrance,  was  a  dais  table  laid  for  eight  persons ;  below 
were  tables  for  forty  or  more.  On  the  dais  the  general 
sat  in  the  middle,  having  my  lady  on  the  right,  and  next  to 
her  Count  Waska ;  on  his  left  he  had  the  Waldgrave,  and 
beyond  him  Fraulein  Anna.  The  two  women  stood  behind 
my  lady,  holding  her  fan  and  vinaigrette.  At  the  lower 
end  of  the  room  the  general's  band,  placed  in  a  kind  of 
cage,  played  soft  airs,  while  between  the  courses  a  gipsy 
girl  danced  very  prettily,  and  a  juggler  diverted  the  com- 
pany with  his  tricks. 

As  for  the  diversity  of  meats  and  fishes,  and  especially  of 
birds,  which  was  set  on,  it  surprised  me  beyond  measure ; 
nor  can  I  understand  whence,  in  the  wasted  condition  of 
the  country,  it  was  procured.  For  wines,  Burgundy, 
Frontignac,  and  Tokay  were  served  at  the  high  table,  and 
Rhine  wines  below.  The  courses  continued  to  succeed  one 
another  for  nearly  three  hours,  but  such  was  the  skill  of  the 
musicians  that  the  time  seemed  short.  One  man  in  par- 
ticular won  my  lady's  approbation.  He  played  on  a  new 
instrument,  shaped  somewhat  like  a  viol,  but  smaller  and 
more  roundly  framed.  Though  it  had  three  strings  only 
and  was  a  trifle  shrill,  it  had  a  wonderful  power  of  touching 
the  heart,  arousing  the  memory  and  producing  a  sweet 
melancholy.  The  general  would  have  had  my  lady  accept 
it,  and  said  that  he  could  easily  procure  another  from  the 


164  MY  LADY 

Milanese  ;  but  she  declined  gracefully,  on  the  ground  that 
without  the  player  it  would  be  a  dumb  boon. 

There  was  so  much  gaiety  in  all  this  —  and  decent 
observance  too,  for  the  general's  presence  kept  good  order 
—  that  I  did  not  wonder  that  my  lady's  eyes  sparkled  and 
betrayed  the  gratification  she  felt.  All  was  for  her,  all  in 
her  honour.  Even  I,  who  looked  at  the  scene  through 
green  glasses  and  could  not  hear  a  word  the  general  said 
without  striving  to  place  some  ill  construction  on  it  —  even 
I  felt  myself  somewhat  carried  away,  when  the  first  toast, 
that  of  the  Emperor,  was  given  in  the  midst  of  cheering, 
partly  serious,  partly  ironical.  It  was  followed  by  that  of 
the  Elector  of  Saxony.  The  King  of  Sweden  came  next, 
and  was  received  in  an  equally  equivocal  manner.  Not  so, 
however,  the  fourth,  which  was  given  by  General  Tzerclas 
standing,  with  his  plumed  hat  in  his  hand. 

« All  in  Tokay  !  '  he  cried  in  his  deep  voice.  '  The  most 
noble  and  high-born,  the  Countess  Rotha  of  Heritzburg,  who 
honours  us  with  her  presence  !  Hoch  !  Hoch  !  Hoch  !  ' 

And  draining  his  goblet,  which  was  of  green  Nuremberg 
glass,  and  of  no  mean  value,  he  dashed  it  to  the  floor,  an 
example  which  was  immediately  followed  by  all  present,  so 
that  the  crash  of  glass  and  clang  of  sword-hilts  filled  the 
room  with  high-pitched  sounds  that  seemed  to  intoxicate 
the  ear. 

My  lady  rose  and  bowed  thrice,  with  her  cheek  crimson 
and  her  eyes  soft.  Then  she  turned  to  retire,  while  all  re- 
mained standing.  The  general  accompanied  her  as  far  as 
the  door  of  the  withdrawing-room,  the  Waldgrave  following 
with  Fraulein  Anna ;  while  the  dwarf  marched  side  by  side 
with  me,  keeping  step  with  an  absurd  gravity  which  filled 
the  room  with  laughter.  On  the  threshold  the  general  and 
his  companions  left  us  with  low  bows ;  but  in  a  trice 
Tzerclas  came  back  to  say  a  word  in  my  ear. 

'  See  to  the  other  door,'  he  muttered,  flashing  a  grim 
look  at  me.  '  There  may  be  deep  drinking.  If  any  offer 
so  much  as  a  word  of  rudeness  here,  he  shall  hang,  drunk 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  165 

or  sober,  Have  a  care,  therefore,  that  no  one  has  the 
chance. ' 

Then  my  heart  sank,  for  I  knew,  hearing  his  tone  and 
seeing  his  face,  as  he  said  that,  that  Fraulein  Anna  was 
right.  He  loved  my  mistress.  He  loved  her  !  I  went 
away  to  my  place  by  the  door,  feeling  as  if  he  had  struck  me 
in  the  face.  For  if  she  loved  him  in  return  that  were  bad 
enough  ;  and  if  she  did  not,  what  then,  seeing  that  we  were 
in  his  power  ? 

Certainly  he  had  omitted  nothing  on  this  occasion  that 
might  charm  her.  I  thought  the  feast  over ;  but  in  the 
withdrawing-room  a  fresh  collation  of  dainty  sweets  and 
syrups  awaited  my  lady,  with  a  great  gold  bowl  of  rose- 
water.  The  man,  too,  who  had  played  on  the  Italian  viol 
brought  it  in,  that  she  might  see  and  examine  it  more 
closely.  From  my  post  at  the  door,  I  saw  Fraulein  Anna 
flitting  about,  bringing  her  short-sighted  eyes  down  to 
everything,  thrusting  her  face  into  the  rose-water,  and  peer- 
ing at  the  weapons  and  stuffs  as  if  she  would  eat  them.  All 
the  while,  too,  I  could  hear  her  prattling  ceaseless  praise  of 
everything — the  general's  taste,  the  general's  wealth,  his 
generosity,  his  skill  in  Latin,  his  love  for  Caesar — the  fat 
book  I  had  seen  him  studying  by  the  fire  —  above  all,  his 
appreciation  of  Voetius,  of  whom  I  shrewdly  believe  he 
had  never  heard  before. 

My  lady  sat  almost  silent  under  the  steady  shower  of 
words,  listening  and  thinking,  and  now  and  then  touching 
the  strings  of  the  viol  which  lay  forgotten  on  her  lap. 
Perhaps  she  was  dreaming  of  her  two  admirers,  perhaps 
only  giving  ear  to  the  growing  tumult  in  the  room  we  had 
left,  where  the  revellers  were  still  at  their  wine.  By-and- 
by  we  heard  them  break  into  song,  and  then  in  thunder  the 
chorus  came  rolling  out  — 

'  Hoch !     Who  rides  with  old  Pappenheim  knee  to  knee 
The  sword  is  his  title,  the  world  is  his  fee  ! 
He  knows  nor  Monarch,  nor  Sire,  nor  clime 
Who  follows  the  banner  of  bold  Pappenheim ! ' 


166  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

My  lady's  lip  curled.  '  Is  there  no  one  on  our  side  t\\ey 
can  sing  ? '  she  muttered,  tapping  the  viol  impatiently  with 
her  fingers.  '  Have  we  no  heroes  ?  Has  Count  Bernard 
never  headed  a  charge  or  won  a  fight  ?  Pappenheirn  ?  I 
am  tired  of  the  man.' 

The  note  jarred  on  her,  as  it  had  on  me  when  I  first 
heard  these  men,  paid  by  the  north,  singing  the  praises  of 
the  great  southern  raider.  But  a  moment  later  she  turned 
her  head  to  hear  better,  and  her  face  grew  thoughtful.  A 
great  shout  of  '  Waska !  Waska ! '  rang  above  the  jingling 
of  glasses  and  snatches  of  song ;  and  then,  '  The  W aid- 
grave  !  The  Waldgrave  ! '  This  time  the  cry  was  less 
boisterous,  the  voices  were  fewer. 

My  lady  turned  to  me.  '  What  is  it  ?  '  she  said,  a  note 
of  anxiety  in  her  voice. 

I  was  unable  to  tell  her  and  I  listened.  By-and-by  a  roar 
of  laughter  made  itself  heard,  and  was  followed  by  a  cry 
of  '  Waska  ! '  as  before.  And  then,  '  The  Thuringian  Code  ! 
The  Thuringian  Code !  It  is  his  turn  ! ' 

'  They  are  drinking,  your  excellency,'  I  said  reluctantly. 
'  It  is  a  drinking  match,  I  think ! ' 

She  rose  with  a  grand  gesture,  and  set  the  little  viol  back 
on  the  table.  '  I  am  going,'  she  said,  almost  fiercely.  '  Let 
the  horses  be  called.' 

Fraulein  Max  looked  scared,  but  my  lady's  face  forbade 
argument  or  reply  ;  and  for  my  part  I  was  not  a  whit  un- 
willing. I  turned  and  gave  the  order  to  Jacob.  While  he 
was  away  the  Countess  remained  standing,  tapping  the  floor 
with  her  foot. 

'  On  this  day  —  on  this  day  they  might  have  abstained  ! ' 
she  muttered  wrathfully,  as  the  chorus  of  riot  and  laughter 
grew  each  moment  louder  and  wilder. 

I  thought  so  too,  and  was  glad  besides  of  anything  which 
might  work  a  breach  between  her  and  the  general.  But  I 
little  knew  what  was  going  to  happen.  It  came  upon 
us  while  we  waited,  with  no  more  warning  than  I  have 
described.  The  door  by  which  we  had  left  the  banqueting 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  167 

chamber  flew  suddenly  open,  and  three  men,  borne  in  on  a 
wave  of  cheering  and  uproar,  staggered  in  upon  us,  the 
leader  reeling  under  the  blows  which  his  applauding 
followers  rained  upon  his  shoulders. 

'  <  There !  Said  I  not  so  ? '  he  cried  thickly,  lurching 
to  one  side  to  escape  them,  and  almost  falling.  '  Where 
ish  your  Waska.  Your  Waska  now  I'd  like  to  know ! 
Waska  is  great,  but  I  am  —  greater  —  greater,  you  see.  I 
can  shoot,  drink,  fight,  and  make  love  better  than  any 
man  here !  Eh !  Who  shays  I  can't  ?  Eh  ?  Itsh  the 
Countesh !  My  cousin  the  Couutesh  !  Ah  ! ' 

Alas,  it  was  the  Waldgrave  !  And  yet  not  the  Waldgrave. 
This  man's  face  was  pale  and  swollen  and  covered  with 
perspiration.  His  eyes  were  heavy  and  sodden,  and  his 
hair  strayed  over  them.  His  collar  and  his  coat  were  open 
at  the  neck,  and  his  sash  and  the  front  of  his  dress  were 
stained  and  reeking  with  wine.  His  hands  trembled,  his 
legs  reeled,  his  tongue  was  too  large  for  his  mouth.  He 
smiled  fatuously  at  us.  Yet  it  was  the  Waldgrave  — 
drunk  ! 

My  lady's  face  froze  as  she  looked  at  him.  She  raised 
her  hand,  and  the  men  behind  him  fell  back  abashed  and 
left  him  standing  there,  propping  himself  uncertainly 
against  the  wall. 

i  '  Well,  your  excellenshy,'  he  stuttered  with  a  hiccough  — 
the  sudden  silence  surprised  him  — '  you  don't  congratu- 
latsh  me  !  Waska  is  under  table.  Under  table,  I  shay  ! ' 

My  lady  looked  at  him,  her  eyes  blazing  with  scorn. 
But  she  said  nothing ;  only  her  fingers  opened  and  closed 
convulsively.  I  turned  to  see  if  Jacob  had  come  back 
He  entered  at  that  moment  and  General  Tzerclas  with  him. 

'  Your  excellency's  horses  are  coming,'  the  general  said 
in  his  usual  tone.  Then  he  saw  the  Waldgrave  and  the 
open  door,  and  he  started  with  surprise.  '  What  is  this  ? ' 
he  said.  His  face  was  flushed  and  his  eyes  were  bright. 
But  he  was  sober. 

The  drunken  man  tried   to  straighten  himself.     'Ashk 


168  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

Waskal'he  said.     Alas!  his  good  looks  were  gone.    I  re- 
garded him  with  horror,  I  knew  what  he  had  done. 

'  The  horses  ? '  the  general  muttered. 

My  lady  drew  a  deep  breath,  as  a  person  recovering  con- 
sciousness does,  and  turned  slowly  towards  him.  'Yes,' 
she  said,  shuddering  from  head  to  foot,  '  if  you  please.  I 
wish  to  go.' 

The  young  lord  heard  the  horses  come  to  the  door,  and 
staggered  forward.  '  Yesh,  letsh  go.  1 11  go  too,'  he  stut- 
tered with  a  foolish  laugh.  '  Letsh  all  go.  Except  Waska ! 
He  is  under  the  table.  Letsh  all  go,  I  say !  Eh  ?  Whatsh 
thish  ? ' 

I  pushed  him  back  and  held  him  against  the  wall  while 
the  general  led  my  lad}7  out.  But,  oh  the  pity  of  it,  the 
wrath,  the  disappointment  that  filled  my  breast  as  I  did  so! 
This  was  the  end  of  my  duel !  This  was  the  stay  to  which 
I  had  trusted !  The  Waldgrave's  influence  with  my  lady  ? 
It  was  gone  —  gone  as  if  it  had  never  been.  A  spider's 
web,  a  rope  of  sand,  a  straw  were  after  this  a  stronger 
thing  to  depend  upon,  a  more  sure  safeguard,  a  stouter 
holdfast  for  a  man  in  peril! 

****** 

He  came  to  my  lady  next  morning  about  two  hours  after 
sunrise,  when  the  dew  was  still  on  the  grass  and  the  birds 
—  such  as  had  lost  their  first  broods  or  were  mating  late  — 
were  in  full  song.  The  camp  was  sleeping  off  its  debauch, 
and  the  village  street  was  bright  and  empty,  with  a  dog 
here  and  there  gnawing  a  bone,  or  sneaking  round  the 
corner  of  a  building.  My  lady  had  gone  out  early  to  the 
fallen  tree  with  her  psalm  book ;  and  was  sitting  there  in 
the  freshness  of  the  morning,  with  her  back  to  the  house 
and  the  street,  when  his  shadow  fell  across  the  page  arid 
she  looked  up  and  saw  him. 

She  said  '  good  morning '  very  coldly,  and  he  for  a 
moment  said  nothing,  but  stood,  sullenly  making  a  hole  ii: 
the  dust  with  his  toe  and  looking  down  at  it.  His  face 
was  pale,  where  it  was  not  red  with  shame,  and  his  eyes 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  169 

were  heavy  and  dull ;  but  otherwise  the  wine  he  had  taken 
had  left  no  mark  on  his  vigorous  youth. 

My  lady  after  speaking  looked  down  at  her  book  again, 
and  he  continued  to  stand  before  her  like  a  whipped  school- 
boy, stealing  every  now  and  then  a  furtive  look  at  her.  At 
length  she  looked  up  again. 

'  Do  you.  want  anything  ?  '  she  said. 

This  time  he  returned  her  gaze,  with  his  face  on  fire, 
trying  to  melt  her.  And  I  think  that  there  were  not  many 
more  unhappy  men  at  that  moment  than  he.  His  fancy, 
liking,  love  were  centred  in  the  woman  before  him ;  in  a 
mad  freak  he  had  outraged,  insulted,  estranged  her.  He 
did  not  know  what  to  do,  how  to  begin,  what  plea  to  put 
forward.  He  could  for  the  moment  only  look,  with  shame 
and  misery  in  his  face. 

It  was  a  plea  that  would  have  melted  many,  but  my  lady 
only  grew  harder.  <  Did  you  hear  me  ? '  she  said  proudly. 
'  Do  you  want  anything  ?  ' 

'  You  know  ! '  he  cried  impetuously,  and  his  voice  broke 
out  fiercely  and  seemed  to  beat  against  her  impassiveness 
as  a  bird  against  the  bars  of  its  cage.  '  I  was  a  beast  last 
night.  But,  oh,  Rotha,  forgive  me.' 

'  I  think  that  we  had  better  not  talk  about  it,'  my  lady 
answered  him  stonily.  '  It  is  past,  and  we  need  not  quarrel 
over  it.  I  shall  be  wiser  next  time,'  she  added.  '  That  is 
all.' 

'  Wiser  ?  '  he  muttered. 

'  Yes  ;  wiser  than  to  trust  myself  to  your  protection/  she 
replied  ruthlessly. 

He  shrank  back  as  if  she  had  struck  him,  and  for  a 
moment  pain  and  rage  brought  the  blood  surging  to  his 
cheeks.  He  even  took  a  step  as  if  to  leave  her  ;  but  when 
love  and  pride  struggle  in  a  young  man,  love  commonly 
has  it,  and  he  turned  again  and  stood  hesitating,  the 
picture  of  misery. 

'  Is  that  all  you  will  say  to  me  ? '  he  muttered,  his  voice 
unsteady. 


170  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

My  lady  moved  her  feet  uneasily.  Then  she  shut  her 
book,  and  looked  round  as  if  she  would  have  willingly 
escaped.  But  she  was  not  stone ;  and  when  at  length  she 
turned  to  him,  her  face  was  changed. 

'  What  do  you  want  me  to  say  ? '  she  asked  gently. 

'That  some  day  you  will  forgive  me.' 

1 1  forgive  you  now,'  she  rejoined  firmly.  'But  I  cannot 
forget.  I  do  not  think  I  ever  can,'  she  went  on.  '  Last 
night  I  was  in  your  charge  among  strangers.  If  danger 
had  arisen,  whose  arm  was  to  shield  me,  if  not  yours  ?  If 
any  had  insulted  me,  to  whom  was  I  to  look,  if  not  to  you  ? 
Yes,  you  may  well  hide  your  face,'  my  lady  continued,  wax- 
ing bitter,  despite  herself.  '  I  am  not  at  Heritzburg  now, 
and  you  should  have  remembered  that.  I  am  here  with 
scanty  protection,  with  few  means  to  exact  respect,  a  refu- 
gee, if  you  like,  a  mark  for  scandal,  and  your  kinswoman. 
And  you  ?  for  shame,  Rupert ! ' 

He  fell  on  his  knees  and  seized  her  hand.  'You  are 
killing  me  ! '  he  cried  in  a  choking  voice,  his  face  pale,  his 
breath  coming  quickly.  '  For  I  love  you,  Rotha,  I  love 
you !  And  every  word  of  reproach  you  utter  is  death  to 
me.' 

'  Hush,  Rupert ! '  she  said  quickly.  And  she  tried  to 
withdraw  her  hand.  He  had  taken  her  by  surprise. 

But  he  was  not  to  be  silenced ;  he  kept  her  hand,  though 
he  rose  to  his  feet.  'It  is  true,'  he  answered.  'I  have 
waited  long  enough.  I  must  speak  now,  or  it  may  be  too 
late.  I  tell  you,  I  love  you ! ' 

The  Countess's  face  was  crimson,  her  brow  dark  with 
vexation.  '  Hush  ! '  she  said  again,  and  more  imperatively. 
'  I  have  heard  enough.  It  is  useless.' 

'  You  have  not  heard  me  ! '  he  answered.  '  Don't  say  so 
until  you  have  heard  me.'  And  he  sat  down  suddenly  on 
the  tree  beside  her,  and  looked  into  her  face  with  pleading 
eyes.  'You  are  letting  last  night  weigh  against  me,'  he 
went  on.  'If  that  be  all,  I  will  never  drink  more  than 
three  cups  of  wine  at  a  time  as  long  as  I  live.  I  swear  it.' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  171 

She  shook  her  head  rather  sadly.  'That  is  not  all, 
Rupert/  she  said. 

'  Then  what  will  you  have  ?  '  he  answered  eagerly.  He 
saw  the  change  in  her,  and  his  eyes  began  to  burn  with 
hope  as  he  looked.  Her  milder  tone,  her  downcast  head, 
her  altered  aspect,  all  encouraged  him.  '  I  love  you,  Botha ! ' 
he  cried,  raising  her  hand  to  his  lips.  'What  more  will 
you  have  ?  Tell  me.  All  I  have,  and  all  I  ever  shall  have 
—  and  I  am  young  and  may  do  great  things  —  are  yours. 
I  have  been  riding  behind  you  day  by  day,  until  I  know 
every  turn  of  your  head,  and  every  note  of  your  voice.  I 
know  your  step  when  you  walk,  and  the  rustle  of  your 
skirt  among  a  hundred !  And  there  is  no  other  woman  in 
the  world  for  me !  What  if  I  am  the  youngest  cadet  of 
my  house  ? '  he  continued,  leaning  towards  her ;  '  this  war 
will  last  many  a  year  yet,  and  I  will  carve  you  a  second 
county  with  my  sword.  Wallenstein  did.  Who  was  he? 
A  simple  gentleman.  Now  he  is  Duke  of  Friedland.  And 
that  Englishman  who  married  a  king's  sister  ?  They  suc- 
ceeded, why  should  not  I  ?  Only  give  me  your  love,  Rotha! 
Trust  me ;  trust  me  once  more  and  always,  and  I  will  not 
fail  you.' 

He  tried  to  draw  her  nearer  to  him,  but  the  Countess 
shook  her  head,  and  looked  at  him  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 
'  Poor  boy,'  she  said  slowly.  '  Poor  boy  !  I  am  sorry,  but 
it  cannot  be.  It  can  never  be.' 

*  Why  ?'  he  cried,  starting  as  if  she  had  stung  him. 

'  Because  I  do  not  love  you,'  she  said. 

He  dropped  her  hand  and  sat  glaring  at  her.  'You  are 
thinking  of  last  night!'  he  muttered. 

She  shook  her  head.  '  I  am  not,'  she  said  simply.  *  I 
suppose  that  if  I  loved  you,  that  and  worse  would  go  for 
nothing.  But  I  do  not.' 

Her  calmness,  her  even  tone  went  to  his  heart  and 
chilled  it.  He  winced,  and  uttering  a  low  cry  turned 
from  her  and  hid  his  face  in  his  hands. 

'Why  not?'  he  said  thickly,  after  an  interval.  'Why 
can  you  not  love  me  ? ' 


i;2  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'Why  does  the  swallow  nest  here  and  not  there?'  the 
Countess  answered  gently.  '  I  do  not  know.  Why  did 
my  father  love  a  foreigner  and  not  one  of  his  own  people  ? 
I  do  not  know.  Neither  do  I  know  why  I  do  not  love  you. 
Unless/  she  added,  with  rising  colour,  '  it  is  that  you  are 
young,  younger  than  I  am ;  and  a  woman  turns  naturally 
to  one  older  than  herself.' 

Her  words  seemed  to  point  so  surely  to  General  Tzerclas 
that  the  young  man  ground  his  teeth  together.  But  he  had 
not  spirit  to  turn  and  reproach  her  then ;  and  after  remain- 
ing silent  for  some  minutes,  he  rose. 

'  Good-bye,'  he  said  in  a  broken  voice.  And  he  lifted 
her  hand  to  his  lips  and  kissed  it. 

The  Countess  started.  The  words,  the  action  impressed 
her  disagreeably.  '  You  are  not  going  —  away  I  mean  ? ' 
she  said. 

'  No,'  he  answered  slowly.  '  But  things  are  —  changed. 
When  we  meet  again  it  will  be  as ' 

'  Friends ! '  she  cried,  her  voice  tender  almost  to  yearn- 
ing. '  Say  it  shall  be  so.  Let  it  be  so  always.  You  will 
not  leave  me  alone  here  ? ' 

1  No,'  he  said  simply,  and  with  dignity.    '  I  shall  not.' 

Then  he  went  away,  quite  quietly ;  and  if  the  beginning 
of  the  interview  had  shown  him  to  small  advantage,  the 
same  could  not  be  said  of  the  end.  He  went  down  the 
street  and  through  the  camp  with  his  head  on  his  breast 
and  a  mist  before  his  eyes.  The  light  was  gone  out  of  the 
sunshine,  the  greenness  from  the  trees.  The  day  was  grey 
and  dreary  and  miserable.  The  blight  was  on  all  he  saw. 
So  it  is  with  men.  When  they  cannot  have  that  which 
seems  to  them  the  best  and  fairest  and  most  desirable 
thing  in  the  world,  nothing  is  good  or  pleasant  or  to  be 
desired  any  longer. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  173 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

STALHAKSKE'S  FINKS. 

IT  was  my  ill  luck,  on  that  day  which  began  so  inaus- 
piciously,  to  see  two  shadows :  one  on  a  man's  face,  the 
Waldgrave's,  and  of  that  I  need  say  no  more ;  the  other, 
the  shadow  of  a  man's  body,  an  odd,  sinister  outline, 
crooked  and  strange  and  tremulous,  that  I  came  upon  in 
a  remote  corner  of  the  camp,  to  which  I  had  wandered  in 
my  perplexity  ;  a  place  where  a  few  stunted  trees  ran  down 
a  steep  bank  to  the  river.  I  had  never  been  to  this  place 
before,  and,  after  a  glance  which  showed  me  that  it  was  the 
common  sink  and  rubbish-bed  of  the  camp,  I  was  turning 
moodily  away,  when  first  this  shadow  and  then  the  body 
which  cast  it  caught  my  eye.  The  latter  hung  from  the 
branch  of  an  old  gnarled  thorn,  the  feet  a  few  inches  from 
the  ground.  A  shuddering  kind  of  curiosity  led  me  to  go 
up  and  look  at  the  dead  man's  face,  which  was  doubled  up  on 
his  breast ;  and  then  the  desire  to  test  the  nerves,  which  is 
common  to  most  men,  induced  me  to  stand  staring  at  him. 

The  time  was  two  hours  after  noon,  and  there  were  few 
persons  moving.  The  camp  was  half  asleep.  Heat,  and 
flies,  and  dust  were  everywhere  —  and  this  gruesome  thing. 
The  body  was  stripped,  and  the  features  were  swollen  and 
disfigured ;  but,  after  a  moment's  thought,  I  recognized 
them,  and  saw  that  I  had  before  me  the  poor  wretch  who 
had  appealed  to  my  lady's  compassion  after  the  shooting- 
match,  and  to  whom  the  general  had  opened  his  hand  so 
freely.  The  grim  remarks  I  had  then  heard  recurred  now, 
and  set  me  shuddering.  If  any  doubt  still  remained  in  my 
mind,  it  was  dissipated  a  moment  later  by  a  placard  which 
had  once  hung  round  the  dead  man's  neck,  but  now  lay  in 
the  dust  at  his  feet.  I  turned  it  over.  Chalked  on  it  in 
large  letters  were  the  words  'Beggars,  beware  I ' 


174  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

I  felt  at  first,  on  making  the  discovery,  only  horror  and 
indignation,  and  a  violent  loathing  of  the  camp.  But  these 
feelings  soon  passed,  and  left  me  free  to  consider  how  the 
deed  touched  us.  Could  I  prove  it?  Could  I  bring  it 
home  to  the  general  to  my  lady's  satisfaction,  beyond  denial 
or  escape,  and  so  open  her  eyes  ?  And  if  I  could,  would  it 
be  wise,  by  doing  so,  to  rouse  his  anger  while  she  remained 
in  the  camp  and  in  General  Tzerclas'  power  ?  I  might  only 
hasten  the  catastrophe. 

I  found  this  a  hard  nut  to  crack,  and  was  still  puzzling 
over  it,  with  my  eyes  on  the  senseless  form  which  was 
already  so  far  out  of  my  thoughts,  when  a  heavy  hand  fell 
on  my  shoulder  and  a  harsh  voice  grated  on  my  ear. 

'Well,  Master  Steward,  a  penny  for  your  thoughts! 
They  should  be  worth  having,  to  judge  by  the  way  you 
rub  your  chin.' 

I  started  and  looked  round.  The  speaker  was  Captain 
Ludwig,  who,  with  two  of  his  fellows,  had  come  up  behind 
me  while  I  mused.  Something  in  his  tone  rather  than  his 
words  —  a  note  of  menace  —  warned  me  to  be  careful ; 
while  the  glum  looks  of  his  companions,  as  they  glanced 
from  me  to  the  dead  man,  added  point  to  the  hint,  and 
filled  my  mind  with  a  sudden  sense  of  danger.  I  had 
learned  more  than  I  had  been  intended  to  learn ;  I  had 
found  out  something  I  had  not  been  intended  to  find  out. 
The  very  quietness  and  sunshine  and  the  solitude  of  the 
place  added  horror  to  the  moment.  It  was  all  I  could  do  to 
hide  my  discomfiture  and  face  them  without  flinching. 

'  My  thoughts  ?  '  I  said,  forcing  a  grin.  'They  were  not 
very  difficult  to  guess.  A  sharp  shrift,  and  a  short  rope  ? 
What  else  should  a  man  think  here  ?  ' 

'  Ay  ? '  Ludwig  said,  watching  me  closely  with  his  eyes 
half  closed  and  his  lips  parted. 

He  would  say  no  more,  and  I  was  forced  to  go  on.  '  It 
is  not  the  first  time  I  have  seen  a  man  dancing  on  noth- 
ing! '  I  said  recklessly  ;  '  but  it  gave  me  a  turn.' 

He  kicked  the  placard.  '  You  are  a  scholar,'  he  said. 
'  What  is  this  ?  ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  175 

My  face  grew  hot.  I  dared  not  deny  my  learning,  for  I 
did  not  know  how  much  he  knew;  but,  for  the  nonce,  I 
wished  heartily  that  I  had  never  been  taught  to  read. 

'  That  ? '  I  said,  affecting  a  jovial  tone  to  cover  my 
momentary  hesitation.  'A  seasonable  warning.  They  are 
as  thick  here  as  nuts  in  autumn.  We  could  spare  a  few 
more,  for  the  matter  of  that.' 

'  Ay,  but  this  one  ? '  he  retorted,  coolly  tapping  the  dead 
man  with  a  little  strck  he  carried,  and  then  turning  to  look 
me  in  the  face.  'You  have  seen  him  before.' 

I  made  a  great  show  of  staring  at  the  body,  but  I  sup- 
pose I  played  my  part  ill,  for  before  I  could  speak  Ludwig 
broke  in  with  a  brutal  laugh. 

'  Chut,  man  ! '  he  said,  with  a  sneer  of  contempt ;  '  you 
know  him  ;  I  see  you  do.  And  knew  him  all  along.  Well, 
if  fools  will  poke  their  noses  into  things  that  do  not  con- 
cern them,  it  is  not  my  affair.  I  must  trouble  you  for  your 
company  awhile.' 

'  Whither  ? '  I  said,  setting  my  teeth  together  and 
frowning  at  him. 

'  To  my  master,'  he  replied,  with  a  curt  nod.  '  Don't 
say  you  won't,'  he  continued  with  meaning,  '  for  he  is  not 
one  to  be  denied.' 

I  looked  from  one  to  another  of  the  three  men,  and  for  a 
moment  the  desperate  clinging  to  liberty,  which  makes 
even  the  craven  bold,  set  my  hands  tingling  and  sent  the 
blood  surging  to  my  head.  But  reason  spoke  in  time.  I 
saw  that  the  contest  was  too  unequal,  the  advantage  of  a 
few  minutes'  freedom  too  trivial,  since  the  general  must 
sooner  or  later  lay  his  hand  on  me ;  and  I  crushed  down 
the  impulse  to  resist. 

'  What  scares  you,  comrades  ?  '  I  said,  laughing  savagely. 
They  had  recoiled  a  foot.  '  Do  you  see  a  ghost  or  a  Swede, 
that  you  look  so  pale  ?  Your  general  wants  me  ?  Then 
let  him  have  me.  Lead  on  !  I  won't  run  away,  I  warrant  you.' 

Ludwig  nodded  as  he  placed  himself  by  my  side.  '  That 
is  the  right  way  to  take  it,'  he  said.  '  I  thought  that  you 
might  be  going  to  be  a  fool,  comrade.' 


176  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'Like  our  friend  there/  I  said  dryly,  pointing  to  the 
senseless  form  we  were  leaving.  '  He  made  a  fuss,  I 
suppose  ? ' 

Ludwig  shrugged  his  shoulders.  'No,'  he  answered, 
•not  he  so  much}  but  his  wife.  Donner !  I  think  I  hear 
her  screams  now.  And  she  cursed  us  !  Ah  ! ' 

I  shuddered,  arid  after  that  was  silent.  But  more  than  once 
before  we  reached  the  general's  quarters  the  frantic  desire 
to  escape  seized  me,  and  had  to  be  repressed.  I  felt  that 
this  was  the  beginning  of  the  end,  the  first  proof  of  the 
strong  grasp  which  held  us  all  helpless.  I  thought  of  my 
lady,  I  thought  of  Marie  Wort,  and  I  could  have  shrieked 
like  a  woman ;  for  I  was  powerless  like  a  woman  — 
gripped  in  a  hand  I  could  not  resist. 

The  camp  grilling  and  festering  in  the  sunshine  —  how 
I  hated  it !  It  seemed  an  age  I  had  lived  in  its  dusty 
brightness,  an  age  of  vague  fears  and  anxieties.  I  passed 
through  it  now  in  a  feverish  dream,  until  an  exclamation, 
uttered  by  my  companion  as  we  turned  into  the  street, 
aroused  me.  The  street  was  full  of  loiterers,  all  standing 
in  groups,  and  all  staring  at  a  little  band  of  horsemen  who 
sat  motionless  in  their  saddles  in  front  of  the  general's 
quarters.  For  a  moment  I  took  these  to  be  the  general's 
staff.  Then  I  saw  that  they  were  dressed  all  alike,  that 
their  broad,  ruddy  faces  were  alike,  that  they  held  them- 
selves with  the  same  unbending  precision,  and  seemed, 
in  a  word,  to  be  ten  copies  of  one  stalwart  man.  Near 
them  a  servant  on  foot  was  leading  two  horses  up  and 
down,  and  they  and  he  had  the  air  of  being  on  show. 

Captain  Ludwig,  holding  me  fast  by  the  arm,  stopped  at 
the  first  group  of  starers  we  came  to.  '  Who  are  these  ? ' 
he  asked  gruffly. 

The  man  he  addressed  turned  round,  eager  to  impart  his 
knowledge.  '  Finns  ! '  he  said ;  '  from  head-quarters  —  Stal- 
hanske's  Finns.  No  less,  captain.' 

My  companion  whistled.  '  What  are  they  doing  here  ?  ' 
he  asked. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  177 

The  other  shook  his  head.  'I  don't  know,'  he  said. 
'  Their  leader  is  with  the  general.  What  do  you  think  of 
them,  Master  Ludwig  ? ' 

But  Ludwig  only  grunted,  looking  with  disparaging  eyes 
at  the  motionless  riders,  whose  air  betrayed  a  certain  con- 
sciousness of  their  fame  and  the  notice  which  they  were 
exciting.  From  steel  cap  to  spurred  boot,  they  showed  all 
metal  and  leather.  Nothing  gay,  nothing  gaudy ;  not  a 
chain  or  a  sash  differenced  one  from  another.  Grim,  stern, 
and  silent,  they  stared  before  them.  Had  no  one  named 
the  King  of  Sweden's  great  regiment,  I  had  known  that  I 
was  looking  no  longer  on  brigands,  but  on  soldiers  —  on 
part  of  the  iron  line  that  at  Breitenfeld  broke  the  long 
repute  of  years,  and  swept  Pappenheim  from  the  hillside 
like  chaff  before  the  storm. 

After  hesitating  a  moment,  Ludwig  went  forward  a  few 
paces,  as  if  to  enter  the  house,  taking  me  with  him.  Then 
he  paused.  At  the  same  instant  the  man  who  was  leading 
the  two  horses  turned.  His  eye  lit  on  me,  and  I  saw  an 
extraordinary  change  come  over  the  fellow's  face.  He 
stopped  short  and,  pulling  up  his  horses,  stared  at  me. 
It  seemed  to  me,  too,  that  I  had  seen  him  before,  and  I 
returned  his  look;  but  while  I  was  trying  to  remember 
where,  the  door  of  the  general's  quarters  opened.  Two  or 
three  men  who  were  loitering  before  it,  stepped  quickly 
aside,  and  a  tall,  stalwart  man  came  out,  followed  by 
General  Tzerclas  himself. 

I  looked  at  the  foremost,  and  in  a  twinkling  recognized 
him.  It  was  Von  Werder.  But  an  extraordinary  change 
had  come  over  the  traveller.  He  was  still  plainly  dressed, 
in  a  buff  coat,  with  untanned  boots,  a  leather  sword-belt, 
and  a  grey  hat  with  a  red  feather ;  and  in  all  of  these  there 
was  nothing  to  catch  the  eye.  But  his  air  and  manner  as 
he  spoke  to  his  companion  were  no  longer  those  of  an  infe- 
rior, while  his  stern  eye,  as  it  travelled  over  the  crowd  in 
the  street,  expressed  cold  and  steady  contempt. 

As  the  servant  brought  up  his  horse,  he  spoke  to  his 

12 


178  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

companion.  'You  are  sure  that  you  can  do  it  —  with 
these  ? '  he  said,  nicking  his  riding-whip  towards  the  silent 
throng. 

'  You  may  consider  it  done/  the  general  answered  rather 
grimly. 

'  Good !     I  am  glad.    Well,  man,  what  is  it  ?  ' 

He  spoke  the  last  words  to  his  servant.  The  man 
pointed  to  me  and  said  something.  Von  Werder  looked 
at  me.  In  a  moment  every  one  looked  at  me.  Then 
Von  Werder  swung  himself  into  his  saddle,  and  turned 
to  General  Tzerclas. 

'That  is  the  man,  lam  told,'  he  said,  pointing  suddenly 
to  me  with  his  whip. 

'He  is  at  your  service,'  the  general  answered  with  a 
shrug  of  indifference. 

In  an  instant  Von  Werder's  horse  was  at  my  side.  '  A 
word  with  you,  my  man,'  he  said  sharply.  'Come  with 
me.' 

Ludwig  had  hold  of  my  arm  still.  He  had  not  loosed 
me,  and  at  this  he  interposed.  '  My  lord,'  he  cried  to  the 
general,  '  this  man  —  I  have  something  to ' 

'  Silence,  fool ! '  Tzerclas  growled.  '  And  stand  aside,  if 
you  value  your  skin  ! ' 

Ludwig  let  me  go;  immediately,  as  if  an  angel  had 
descended  to  speak  for  me,  the  crowd  parted,  and  I  was 
free  —  free  and  walking  away  down  the  street  by  the  side 
of  the  stranger,  who  continued  to  look  at  me  from  time  to 
time,  but  still  kept  silence.  When  we  had  gone  in  this 
fashion  a  couple  of  hundred  paces  or  more,  and  were  clear 
of  the  crowd,  he  seemed  no  longer  able  to  control  himself, 
though  he  looked  like  a  man  apt  at  self-command.  He 
waved  his  escort  back  and  reined  in  his  horse. 

'  You  are  the  man  to  whom  I  talked  the  other  night,'  he 
said,  fixing  me  with  his  eyes  —  'the  Countess  of  Heritz- 
burg's  steward?' 

I  replied  that  I  was.  His  face  as  he  looked  down  at  me, 
with  his  back  to  his  following,  betrayed  so  much  agitation 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  179 

that  I  wondered  more  and  more.  Was  he  going  to  save  us  ? 
Could  he  save  us  ?  Who  was  he  ?  What  did  it  all  mean  ? 
Then  his  next  question  scattered  all  these  thoughts  and 
doubled  iny  surprise. 

'You  had  a  chain  stolen  from  you,'  he  said  harshly, 
'the  night  I  lay  in  your  camp  ? ' 

I  stared  at  him  with  my  mouth  open.  '  A  chain  ? '  I 
stammered. 

'  Ay,  fool,  a  chain  ! '  he  replied,  his  eyes  glaring,  his 
cheeks  swelling  with  impatience.  'A  gold  chain  —  with 
links  like  walnuts.' 

'  It  is  true,'  I  said  stupidly.     '  I  had.     But ' 

'  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  ' 

I  looked  away.  To  answer  was  easy;  to  refrain  from 
answering,  with  his  eye  upon  me,  hard.  But  I  thought  of 
Marie  Wort.  I  did  not  know  how  the  chain  had  come  into 
her  hands,  and  I  asked  him  a  question  in  return. 

'  Have  you  the  chain  ? '  I  said. 

'I  have  !'  he  snarled.  And  then  in  a  sudden  outburst  of 
wrath  he  cried,  '  Listen,  fool !  And  then  perhaps  you  will 
answer  me  more  quickly.  I  am  Hugo  of  Leuchten stein, 
Governor  of  Cassel  and  Marburg,  and  President  of  the 
Landgrave's  Council.  The  chain  was  mine  and  came  back 
to  me.  The  rogue  who  stole  it  from  you,  and  joined  him- 
self to  my  company,  blabbed  of  it,  and  where  he  got  it. 
He  let  my  men  see  it.  He  would  not  give  it  up,  and  they 
killed  him.  Will  that  satisfy  you  ?  '  he  continued,  his  face 
on  fire  with  impatience.  'Then  tell  me  all  —  all,  man,  or  it 
will  be  the  worse  for  you  !  My  time  is  precious,  and  I 
cannot  stay  ! ' 

I  uncovered  myself.  'Your  excellency,'  I  stammered, 
'  the  chain  was  entrusted  to  me  by  a  —  a  woman.' 

'A  woman?'  he  exclaimed,  his  eyes  lightening.  'Man, 
you  are  wringing  my  heart.  A  woman  with  a  child  ?  ' 

I  nodded. 

'  A  child  three  years  old  ? ' 

1  About  that,  your  excellency.'     On  which,  to  my  aston- 


i8o  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

ishment,  he  covered  his  face  with  both  his  hands,  and  I  saw 
the  strong  man's  frame  heave  with  ill-suppressed  emotion. 
'  My  God,  I  thank  thee  ! '  I  heard  him  whisper ;  and  if  ever 
words  came  from  the  heart,  those  did.  It  was  a  minute  or 
more  before  he  dared  to  uncover  his  face,  and  then  his  eyes 
were  moist  and  his  features  worked  with  emotion. 

'You  shall  be  rewarded!'  he  said  unsteadily.  'Do  not 
fear.  And  now  take  me  to  him  — to  her.' 

I  was  in  a  maze  of  astonishment,  but  I  had  sense  enough 
to  understand  the  order.  We  had  halted  scarcely  more 
than  a  hundred  yards  from  my  lady's  quarters,  and  I  led 
the  way  thither,  comprehending  little  more  than  that  some- 
thing advantageous  had  happened  to  us.  At  the  door  he 
sprang  from  his  horse,  and  taking  me  by  the  arm,  as  if  he 
were  afraid  to  suffer  me  out  of  his  reach,  he  entered, 
pushing  me  before  him. 

The  principal  room  was  empty,  and  I  judged  my  lady  was 
out.  I  cried  '  Marie !  Marie  ! '  softly ;  and  then  he  and  I 
stood  listening.  The  sunshine  poured  in  through  the  win- 
dows ;  the  house  was  still  with  the  stillness  of  afternoon. 
A  bird  in  a  cage  in  the  corner  pecked  at  the  bars.  Outside 
the  bits  jingled,  and  a  horse  pawed  the  road  impatiently. 

'  Marie  ! '  I  cried.     '  Marie  ! ' 

She  came  in  at  last  through  a  door  which  led  to  the  back 
of  the  house,  and  I  stepped  forward  to  speak  to  her.  But 
the  moment  I  saw  her  clearly,  the  words  died  on  my  lips. 
The  pallor  of  her  face,  the  disorder  of  her  hair  struck  me 
dumb.  I  forgot  our  business,  my  companion,  all.  'What 
is  it  ? '  was  all  I  could  say.  '  What  is  the  matter  ? ' 

'  The  child  ! '  she  cried,  her  dark  eyes  wild  with  anxiety. 
'  The  child  !  It  is  lost !  It  is  lost  and  gone.  I  cannot  find 
it!' 

'The  child?  Gone  ?  '  I  answered,  my  voice  rising  almost 
to  a  shout,  in  my  surprise.  'It  is  missing  ?  Now  ? ' 

'I  cannot  find  it,'  she  answered  monotonously.  'I  left 
it  for  a  moment  at  the  back  there.  It  was  playing  on  the 
grass.  Now  it  is  gone.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  181 

I  looked  at  Count  Leuchtenstein.  He  was  staring  at  the 
girl,  listening  and  watching,  his  brow  contracted,  his  face 
pale.  But  I  suppose  that  this  sudden  alarm,  this  momen- 
tary disappearance  did  not  affect  him,'  from  whom  the  child 
had  been  so  long  absent,  as  it  affected  us ;  for  his  first  words 
referred  to  the  past. 

'This  child,  woman?'  he  said  in  his  deep  voice,  which 
shook  despite  all  his  efforts.  '  When  you  found  it,  it  had 
a  chain  round  its  neck  ? ' 

But  Marie  was  so  wrapped  up  in  her  sudden  loss  that 
she  answered  him  without  thought,  listening  the  while. 
'  Yes,'  she  said  mechanically,  '  it  had.' 

'Where  did  you  find  it,  then  —  the  child?'  he  asked 
eagerly. 

f  In  the  forest  by  Vach,'  she  replied,  in  the  same  indif- 
ferent tone. 

'Was  it  alone?' 

'It  was  with  a  dead  woman,'  she  answered.  She  was 
listening  still,  with  a  strained  face — listening  for  the  pat- 
tering of  the  little  feet,  the  shrill  music  of  the  piping  voice. 
Only  half  of  her  mind  was  with  us.  Her  hands  opened 
and  closed  continually  with  anxiety;  she  held  her  head  on 
one  side,  her  ear  to  the  door.  When  the  Count  went  to  put 
another  question,  she  turned  upon  him  so  fiercely,  I  hardly 
knew  her.  '  Hush  ! '  she  said,  '  will  you  ?  They  are  here, 
but  they  have  not  found  him.  They  have  not  found  him  ! ' 

And  she  was  right ;  though  I,  whose  ears  were  not  sharp- 
ened by  love,  did  not  discern  this  until  two  men,  who  had 
been  left  at  home  with  her,  and  who  had  been  out  to  search, 
came  in  empty-handed  and  with  scared  looks.  They  had 
hunted  on  all  sides  and  found  no  trace  of  the  child,  and, 
certain  that  it  could  not  have  strayed  far  itself,  pronounced 
positively  that  it  had  been  kidnapped. 

Marie  at  that  burst  into  weeping  so  pitiful,  that  I  was 
glad  to  send  the  men  out,  bidding  them  make  a  larger  cir- 
ciiit  and  inquire  in  the  camp.  When  they  were  gone,  I 
turned  to  Count  Leuchtenstein  to  see  how  he  took  it.  I 


182  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

found  him  leaning  against  the  wall,  his -face  grave,  dark, 
and  thoughtful. 

'  There  seems  a  fatality  in  it ! '  he  muttered,  meeting  my 
eyes,  but  speaking  to  himself.  'That  it  should  be  lost 
again  —  at  this  moment!  Yet,  God's  will  be  done.  He 
who  sent  the  chain  to  my  hands  can  still  take  care  of  the 
child.' 

He  paused  a  moment  in  deep  thought,  and  then,  advanc- 
ing to  Marie  Wort,  who  had  thrown  herself  into  a  chair  and 
was  sobbing  passionately  with  her  face  on  the  table,  he 
touched  her  on  the  shoulder. 

'  Good  girl ! '  he  said  kindly.  '  Good  girl !  But  doubtless 
the  child  is  safe.  Before  night  it  will  be  found.' 

She  sprang  up  and  faced  him,  her  cheeks  flaming  with 
anger.  I  suppose  the  questions  he  had  put  to  her  had  made 
no  distinct  impression  on  her  mind. 

'  Oh,'  she  cried,  in  the  voice  of  a  shrew,  '  how  you  prate  ! 
By  night  it  will  be  found,  will  it  ?  How  do  you  know  ? 
But  the  child  is  nothing  to  you  —  nothing ! ' 

'  Girl,'  he  said  solemnly,  yet  gently,  '  the  child  is  my  child 
—  my  only  child,  and  the  hope  of  my  house.' 

She  looked  at  him  wildly.  '  Who  are  you,  then  ? '  she 
said,  her  voice  sinking  almost  to  a  whisper. 

'lam  his  father/ he  answered;  when  I  looked  to  hear 
him  state  his  name  and  titles.  '  And  as  his  father,  I  thank 
and  bless  you  for  all  that  you  have  done  for  him.' 

'  His  mother  ? '  she  whispered,  open-eyed  with  awe. 

'His  mother  is  dead.  She  died  three  years  ago,'  he 
answered  gravely.  'And  now  tell  me  your  name,  for  I 
must  go.' 

'You  must  go!'  she  exclaimed.  'You  will  go  — you  can 
go  —  and  your  child  lost  and  wandering  ? ' 

'Yes,'  he  replied,  with  a  dignity  which  silenced  her,  'I 
can,  for  I  have  other  and  greater  interests  to  guard  than 
those  of  my  house,  and  I  dare  not  be  negligent.  He  may 
be  found  to-morrow,  but  what  I  have  to  do  to-day  cannot 
be  done  to-morrow.  See,  take  that,'  he  continued  more 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  183 

gently,  laying  a  heavy  purse  on  the  table  before  her.  '  It 
is  for  you,  for  your  own  use  —  for  your  dowry,  if  you  have 
a  lover.  And  remember  always  that,  in  the  house  of  Hugo 
of  Leuchtenstein,  at  Cassel,  or  Marburg,  or  at  the  Schloss 
by  Leuchtenstein,  you  will  find  a  home  and  shelter,  and 
stout  friends  whenever  you  need  them.  Now  give  me  your 
name.' 

She  stared  at  him  dumfounded  and  was  silent.  I  told 
him  Marie  Wort  of  Munich,  at  present  in  attendance  on 
the  Countess  of  Heritzburg;  and  he  set  it  down  in  his 
tablets. 

'Good/  he  said.  And  then  in  his  stern,  grave  fashion  he 
turned  to  me.  '  Master  Steward,'  he  said,  in  a  measured 
tone  which  nevertheless  stirred  my  blood,  '  are  you  an  ambi- 
tious man  ?  If  so,  search  for  my  child,  and  bring  him  to 
Cassel  or  Marburg,  or  my  house,  and  I  will  fulfil  your 
ambition.  Would  you  have  a  command,  I  will  see  to  it ;  or 
a  farm,  it  shall  be  yours.  You  can  do  for  me,  my  friend,' 
he  continued  strenuously,  laying  his  hand  on  my  arm, '  what 
in  this  stress  of  war  and  statecraft  I  cannot  do  for  myself. 
I  have  a  hundred  at  my  call,  but  they  are  not  here ;  and  by 
to-night  I  must  be  ten  leagues  hence,  by  to-morrow  night 
beyond  the  Main.  Yet  God,  I  believe,'  he  went  on,  uncover- 
ing himself  and  speaking  with  reverent  earnestness,  '  who 
brought  me  to  this  place,  and  permitted  me  to  hear  again 
of  my  son,  will  not  let  His  purpose  fail  because  He  calls  me 
elsewhere.' 

And  he  maintained  this  grave  composure  to  the  last.  A 
man  more  worthy  of  his  high  repute,  not  in  Hesse  only, 
but  in  the  Swedish  camp,  at  Dresden,  and  Vienna,  I 
thought  that  I  had  never  seen.  Yet  still  under  the  mask 
I  discerned  the  workings  of  a  human  heart.  His  eye,  as  he 
turned  to  go,  wandered  round  the  room ;  I  knew  that  it  was 
seeking  some  trace  of  his  boy's  presence.  On  the  threshold 
he  halted  suddenly;  I  knew  that  he  was  listening.  But 
no  sound  rewarded  him.  He  nodded  sternly  to  me  and 
went  out. 


184  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

I  followed  to  hold  his  stirrup.  The  Finland  riders,  sit- 
ting upright  in  their  saddles,  looked  as  if  they  had  not 
moved  an  eyelash  in  our  absence.  As  I  had  left  them  so  I 
found  them.  He  gave  a  short,  sharp  word  of  command ;  a 
sudden  jingling  of  bridles  followed ;  the  troop  walked  for- 
ward, broke  into  a  trot,  and  in  a  twinkling  disappeared  down 
the  road  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 

Then,  and  not  till  then,  I  remembered  that  I  had  not  said 
a  word  to  him  about  my  lady's  position.  His  personality 
and  the  loss  of  the  child  had  driven  it  from  my  mind.  Now 
it  recurred  to  me ;  but  it  was  too  late,  and  after  stamping 
up  and  down  in  vexation  for  a  while,  I  turned  and  went 
into  the  house. 

Marie  Wort  had  fallen  back  into  the  old  position  at  the 
table,  and  was  sitting  with  her  face  on  her  arms,  sobbing 
bitterly.  I  went  up  to  her  and  saw  the  purse  lying  by  her 
side. 

'  Come,'  I  said,  trying  awkwardly  to  cheer  her,  '  the  child 
will  be  found,  never  fear.  When  my  lady  returns  she  will 
send  to  the  general,  and  he  will  have  it  cried  through  the 
camp.  It  is  sure  to  be  found.  And  you  have  made  a 
powerful  friend.' 

But  she  took  no  heed  of  me.  She  continued  to  weep ; 
and  her  sobs  hurt  me.  She  seemed  so  small  and  lonely  and 
helpless  that  I  had  not  the  heart  to  leave  her  by  herself  in 
the  house  and  go  out  into  the  sunshine  to  search.  And  so 
—  I  scarcely  know  how  it  came  about  —  in  a  moment  she 
was  sobbing  out  her  grief  on  my  shoulder  and  I  was 
whispering  in  her  ear. 

Of  love  ?  of  our  love  ?  "No,  for  to  have  spoken  of  that 
while  she  wept  for  the  child,  would  have  seemed  to  me  no 
better  than  sacrilege.  And,  besides,  I  think  that  we  took 
it  for  granted.  For  when  her  sobs  presently  ceased,  and 
she  lay  quiet,  listening,  and  I  found  her  soft  dark  hair  on 
my  shoulder,  I  kissed  it  a  hundred  times ;  and  still  she 
lay  silent,  her  cheek  against  my  rough  coat.  Our  eyes  had 
spoken  morning  and  evening,  at  dawn  when  we  met,  and  at 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  185 

night  when  we  parted;  and  now  that  this  matter  of  the 
chain  was  settled,  it  seemed  fitting  that  she  should  come  to 
me  for  comfort  —  without  words. 

At  length  she  drew  herself  away  from  me,  her  cheek  dark 
and  her  eyes  downcast.  '  Not  now,'  she  said,  gently  stop- 
ping me  —  for  then  I  think  I  should  have  spoken.  '  Will 
you  please  to  go  out  and  search  ?  No,  I  will  not  grieve.' 

*  But  your  purse  ! '  I  reminded  her.  She  was  leaving  it 
on  the  table,  and  it  was  not  safe  there.  '  You  should  put  it 
in  a  place  of  safety,  Marie.' 

She  took  it  up  and  very  simply  placed  it  in  my  hands. 
'  He  said  it  was  for  my  —  dowry,'  she  whispered,  blushing. 
And  then  she  fled  away  shamefaced  to  her  room. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    SUDDEN    EXPEDITION. 

I  DID  not  after  that  suffer  the  grass  to  grow  under  my  feet. 
I  went  out,  and  with  my  own  eyes  searched  the  fields  at 
the  back,  and  every  ditch  and  water-hole.  I  had  the  loss 
cried  in  the  camp,  my  lady  on  her  return  offered  a  reward, 
we  sent  even  to  the  nearer  villages,  we  patrolled  the  roads, 
we  omitted  nothing  that  could  by  any  chance  avail  us. 
Yet  evening  fell,  and  night,  and  found  us  still  searching ; 
and  no  nearer,  as  far  as  we  could  see,  to  success.  The  child 
was  gone  mysteriously.  Left  to  play  alone  for  two  minutes 
in  the  stillness  of  the  afternoon,  he  had  vanished  as  com- 
pletely as  if  the  earth  had  opened  and  swallowed  him. 

Baffled,  we  began  to  ask,  while  -Marie  sat  pale  and 
brooding  in  a  corner,  or  now  and  again  stole  to  the  door  to 
listen,  who  could  have  taken  him  and  with  what  motive  ? 
There  were  men  and  women  in  the  camp  capable  of  any- 
thing. It  seemed  probable  to  some  that  these  had  stolen 
the  child  for  the  sake  of  his  clothes.  Others  suggested 


186  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

witchcraft.  But  in  my  own  mind,  I  leaned  to  neither  of 
these  theories.  I  suspected,  though  I  dared  not  utter  the 
thought,  that  the  general  had  done  it.  Without  knowing 
how  much  of  the  story  Count  Hugo  had  confided  to  him,  I 
took  it  as  certain  that  the  father  had  said  enough  to  ap- 
prise him  of  the  boy's  value.  And  this  being  so,  what 
more  probable  than  that  the  general,  whom  I  was  pre- 
pared to  credit  with  any  atrocity,  had  taken  instant  steps  to 
possess  himself  of  the  child  ? 

My  lady  said  and  did  all  that  was  kind  on  the  occasion, 
and  for  a  few  hours  it  occupied  all  our  thoughts.  At  the 
end  of  that  time,  however,  about  sunset,  General  Tzerclas 
rode  to  the  door,  and  with  him,  to  my  surprise,  the  Wald- 
grave.  They  would  see  her,  and  detained  her  so  long  that 
when  she  sent  for  me  on  their  departure,  I  was  sore  on 
Marie's  account,  and  inclined  to  blame  her  as  indifferent  to 
our  loss.  But  a  single  glance  at  her  face  put  another  colour- 
on  the  matter.  I  saw  that  something  had  occurred  to  excite 
and  disturb  her. 

'  Martin,'  she  said  earnestly,  '  I  am  going  to  employ  you 
on  an  errand  of  importance.  Listen  to  me  and  do  not 
interrupt  me.  General  Tzerclas  starts  to-morrow  with  the 
larger  part  of  his  forces  to  intercept  one  of  Wallenstein's 
convoys,  which  is  expected  to  pass  twelve  leagues  to  the 
south  of  this.  There  will  be  sharp  fighting,  I  am  told,  and 
my  cousin,  the  Waldgrave  Rupert,  is  going.  He  is  not  at  pres- 
ent —  I  mean,  I  am  afraid  he  may  do  something  rash.  He 
is  young/  my  lady  continued  with  dignity  and  a  heightened 
colour,  'and  I  wish  he  would  stay-here.  But  he  will  not.' 

I  guessed  at  once  that  this  affair  of  the  convoy  was  the 
business  which  had  brought  Count  Hugo  to  the  camp.  And 
I  was  beginning  to  consider  what  advantage  we  might  make 
of  it,  and  whether  the  general's  absence  might  not  afford  us 
both  a  pretext  for  departure  and  the  opportunity,  when  my 
lady's  next  words  dispelled  my  visions. 

'  I  want  you,'  she  said  slowly,  '  to  go  with  him.  He  has 
a  high  opinion  of  you,  and  will  listen  to  you.' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  187 

*  The  general  ?  '  I  cried  in  amazement. 

'  Who  spoke  of  him  ? '  she  exclaimed  angrily.  '  I  said  the 
Waldgrave  Rupert.  I  wish  you  to  go  with  him  to  see  that 
he  does  not  run  any  unnecessary  risk.' 

I  coughed  dryly,  and  stood  silent. 

1  Well  ? '  my  lady  said  with  a  frown.  '  Do  you  under- 
stand ? » 

'I  understand,  my  lady,'  I  answered  firmly;  'but  I 
cannot  go.' 

'  You  cannot  go !  when  I  send  you ! '  she  murmured, 
unable,  I  think,  to  believe  her  ears.  *  Why  not,  sirrah  ? 
Why  not,  if  you  please  ? ' 

'Because  my  first  duty  is  to  your  excellency,'  I  stam- 
mered. 'And  as  long  as  you  are  here,  I  dare  not  —  and 
will  not  leave  you  ! ' 

'  As  long  as  I  am  here  ! '  she  retorted,  red  with  anger  and 
surprise.  '  You  have  still  that  maggot  in  your  head,  then  ? 
By  my  soul,  Master  Martin,  if  we  were  at  home  I  would  find 
means  to  drive  it  out !  But  I  know  what  it  is !  What  you 
really  want  is  to  stay  by  the  side  of  that  puling  girl !  Oh, 
I  am  not  blind,'  my  lady  continued  viciously,  seeing  that 
she  had  found  at  last  the  way  to  hurt  me.  '  I  know  what 
has  been  going  on.' 

' But  Count  Leuchtenstein '  I  muttered. 

'  Don't  bring  him  in ! '  my  lady  cried,  in  such  a  voice  that 
I  dared  go  no  farther.  '  General  Tzerclas  has  told  me  of 
him.  I  understand  what  is  between  them,  and  you  do  not. 
Presumptuous  booby ! '  she  continued,  flashing  at  me  a 
glance  of  scorn,  which  made  me  tremble.  'But  I  will 
thwart  you !  Since  you  will  not  leave  me,  I  will  go  myself. 
I  will  go,  but  Mistress  Marie  shall  stay  here  till  we  return.' 

'  But  if  there  is  to  be  fighting  ?  '  I  said  humbly. 

'  Ah  !  So  you  have  changed  your  note,  have  you ! '  she 
cried  triumphantly.  I  had  seldom  seen  her  more  moved. 
'If  there  is  to  be  fighting'  —  she  mocked  my  tone.  'Well, 
there  is  to  be,  but  I  shall  go.  And  now  do  you  go,  and  have 
all  ready  for  a  start  at  daybreak,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for 


1 88  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

you!  One  of  my  women  will  accompany  me.  Fraulein 
Anna  will  stay  here  with  your  —  other  mistress!' 

She  pointed  to  the  door  as  she  spoke,  and  once  more 
charged  me  to  be  ready ;  and  I  went  away  dazed.  Every- 
thing seemed  on  a  sudden  to  be  turned  upside  down  —  the 
child  lost,  my  lady  offended,  the  Waldgrave  desperate,  the 
general  in  favour.  It  was  hard  to  see  which  way  my  duty 
lay.  I  would  fain  have  stayed  in  the  camp  a  day  to  make 
farther  search  for  the  child,  but  I  must  go.  I  would  gladly 
have  got  clear  of  the  camp,  but  we  were  to  travel  in  the 
general's  company.  As  to  leaving  Marie,  my  lady  wronged 
me.  I  knew  of  no  special  danger  which  threatened  the  girl, 
nor  any  reason  why  she  should  not  be  safe  where  she  was. 
If  the  child  were  found  she  would  be  here  to  receive  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  was  my  discovery  of  the  beggar's 
fate,  from  the  immediate  consequences  of  which  Count 
Hugo's  arrival  had  saved  me.  This  sudden  expedition 
should  favour  me  there ;  the  general  would  have  his  hands 
full  of  other  things,  and  Ludwig  be  hard  put  to  it  to  gain 
his  ear.  I  might  now,  if  I  pleased,  discover  the  matter  to 
my  lady,  and  open  her  eyes.  But  I  had  no  proof ;  even  if 
time  permitted,  and  I  could  take  the  Countess  to  that  part 
of  the  camp,  I  could  not  be  sure  that  the  body  was  still 
there.  And  to  accuse  General  Tzerclas  of  such  a  thing 
without  proof  would  be  to  court  my  own  ruin. 

While  I  was  puzzling  over  this,  I  saw  the  Waldgrave 
outside,  and,  thinking  to  profit  by  his  advice,  I  went  to  meet 
him.  But  I  found  him  in  a  peculiar  mood,  talking,  laughing, 
and  breaking  into  snatches  of  song;  all  with  a  wildness  and 
abandon  that  frightened  while  they  puzzled  me.  He  laughed 
at  my  doubts,  and  walking  up  and  down,  while  his  servants 
scoured  his  breast-piece  and  cleaned  his  harness  by  the 
light  of  a  lantern,  he  persisted  in  talking  of  nothing  but 
the  expedition  before  us  and  the  pleasure  of  striking  a  blow 
or  two. 

'We  are  rusting,  man!'  he  cried  feverishly,  clapping  me 
on  the  back.  '  You  have  the  rust  on  you  yet,  Martin. 
But  — 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  189 

"  Clink,  clink,  clink  ! 

Sword  and  stirrup  and  spur  1 
Ride,  ride,  ride, 

Fast  as  feather  or  fur !  " 

To-morrow  or  the  next  day  we  will  have  it  off.' 

*  You  have  heard  about  the  child,  my  lord/  I  said  gravely, 
trying  to  bring  him  back  to  the  present. 

'I  have  heard  that  Von  Werder,  the  dullest  man  at  a 
board  I  ever  met,  turns  out  to  be  Hugo  of  Leuchtenstein, 
whom  God  preserve  ! '  he  answered  recklessly.  '  And  that 
your  girl's  brat  of  a  brother  turns  out  to  be  his  brat !  And 
no  sooner  is  the  father  found  than  the  son  is  lost;  and 
that  both  have  gone  as  mysteriously  as  they  came.  But 
Himmel !  man,  what's  the  odds  when  we  are  going  to  fight 
to-morrow!  What  compares  with  that?  £a!  Qa!  steady 
and  the  point!' 

I  thought  of  Marie ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  there  were 
other  things  in  the  world  besides  fighting.  For  love  makes 
a  man  both  brave  and  a  coward.  But  the  argument  would 
scarcely  have  been  to  the  Waldgrave's  mind,  and,  seeing 
that  he  would  neither  talk  nor  hear  reason,  I  left  him  and 
went  away  to  make  my  preparations. 

But  on  the  road  next  day  I  noticed  that  though  now  and 
then  he  flashed  into  the  same  wild  merriment,  he  was  on 
the  whole  as  dull  as  he  had  been  gay.  Our  party  rode  at 
the  head  of  the  column,  that  we  might  escape  the  dust  and 
have  the  best  of  the  road,  the  general  and  his  principal 
officers  accompanying  us  and  leaving  the  guidance  of  the 
inarch  to  inferiors.  Our  force  consisted  of  about  six  hundred 
horse  and  four  hundred  foot ;  and  as  we  were  to  return  to 
the  camp,  we  took  with  us  neither  sutlers  nor  ordinary  bag- 
gage, while  camp  followers  were  interdicted  under  pain  of 
death.  Yet  the  amount  of  our  impedimenta  astonished  me. 
Half  a  dozen  sumpter  horses  were  needed  to  carry  the  gen- 
eral's tent  and  equipage ;  his  officers  required  a  score  more. 
The  ammunition  for  the  foot  soldiers,  who  were  sufficiently 
burdened  with  their  heavy  matchlocks,  provided  farther 


190  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

loads ;  and  in  fine,  while  supposed  to  be  marching  in  light 
fighting  order,  we  had  something  like  a  hundred  pack- 
horses  in  our  train.  Then  there  were  men  to  lead  them, 
and  cooks  and  pages  and  foot-boys  and  the  general's  band, 
and  but  that  our  way  lay  through  woodland  tracks  and  by- 
routes,  I  verily  believe  that  we  should  have  had  his  coach 
and  dwarf  also. 

The  sight  of  all  these  men  and  horses  in  motion  was  so 
novel  and  exhilarating,  and  the  morning  air  so  brisk,  that  I 
soon  recovered  from  my  parting  with  Marie,  and  began  to 
take  a  more  cheerful  view  of  the  position.  I  came  near  to 
sympathizing  with  my  lady,  whose  pleasure  and  delight 
knew  no  bounds.  The  long  lines  of  horsemen  winding 
through  the  wood,  the  trailing  pikes  and  waving  pennons, 
gratified  her  youthful  fancy  for  war ;  while  as  our  march 
lay  through  the  forest,  she  was  shocked  by  none  of  those 
traces  of  its  ravages  which  had  appalled  us  on  first  leaving 
Heritzburg.  The  general  waited  on  her  with  the  utmost 
attention,  riding  by  her  bridle-rein  and  talking  with  her  by 
the  hour  together.  Whenever  I  looked  at  them  I  noticed 
that  her  eye  was  bright  and  her  colour  high,  and  I  guessed 
that  he  was  unfolding  the  plan  of  ambition  which  I  was 
sure  he  masked  under  a  cold  and  reserved  demeanour. 
Alas !  I  could  think  of  nothing  more  likely  to  take  my 
lady's  fancy,  no  course  more  sure  to  enlist  her  sympathy 
and  interest.  But  I  was  helpless ;  I  could  do  nothing.  And 
for  the  Waldgrave,  if  he  still  had  any  power  he  would  not 
use  it. 

My  lady  gave  him  opportunities.  Several  times  I  saw 
her  try  to  draw  him  into  conversation,  and  whenever 
General  Tzerclas  left  her  for  a  while  she  turned  to  the 
younger  man  and  would  have  talked  to  him.  But  he  seemed 
\inable  to  respond.  When  he  was  not  noisily  gay,  he  rode 
like  a  mute.  He  seemed  half  sullen,  half  afraid  ;  and  she 
presently  gave  him  up,  but  not  before  her  efforts  had  caught 
Tzerclas'  eye.  The  general  had  been  called  for  some 
purpose  to  the  rear  of  the  column,  and  on  his  return  found 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  191 

the  two  talking,  my  lady's  attitude  such  that  it  was  very 
evident  she  was  the  provocant.  He  did  not  try  to  resume 
his  place,  but  fell  in  behind  them ;  and  riding  there,  almost, 
if  not  quite,  within  earshot,  cast  such  ugly  glances  at  them 
as  more  than  confirmed  me  in  the  belief  that  in  his  own 
secret  way  he  loved  my  mistress ;  and  that,  after  a  more 
dangerous  fashion  than  the  Waldgrave. 

This  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  another  hour  brought 
us  who  marched  at  the  head  of  the  column  to  our  camping- 
ground  for  the  night.  We  lay  in  a  rugged,  wooded  valley, 
not  very  commodious,  but  chosen  because  only  one  high 
ridge  divided  it  from  a  second  valley,  through  which  the 
main  road  and  the  river  had  their  course.  Our  instructions 
were  that  the  convoy,  which  was  bound  for  Wallenstein's 
army  then  marching  on  Nuremberg,  would  pass  through 
this  second  valley  some  time  during  the  following  day ;  but 
until  the  hour  came  for  making  the  proper  dispositions,  all 
persons  in  our  force  were  forbidden  to  mount  the  interven- 
ing ridge  under  pain  of  death.  We  had  even  to  do  with- 
out fires  —  lest  the  smoke  should  betray  our  presence  — 
and  for  this  one  night  lay  under  something  like  the  strict 
discipline  which  I  had  expected  to  find  prevailing  in  a 
military  camp.  The  only  fire  that  was  permitted  cooked 
the  general's  meal,  which  he  shared  with  my  lady  and  the 
Waldgrave  and  the  principal  officers. 

Even  so  the  order  caused  trouble.  The  pikemen  and 
musketeers  did  not  come  in  till  an  hour  before  midnight, 
when  they  trudged  into  camp  dusty  and  footsore  and  mur« 
muring  at  their  leaders.  When,  in  this  state,  they  learned 
that  fires  were  not  to  be  lighted,  disgust  grew  rapidly  into 
open  disobedience.  On  a  sudden,  in  half  a  dozen  quarters 
at  once,  flames  flickered  up,  and  the  camp,  dark  before, 
became  peopled  in  a  moment  with  strange  forms,  whose 
eighteen-foot  weapons  and  cumbrous  headpieces  flung  long 
shadows  across  the  valley. 

We  had  lain  down  to  rest,  but  at  the  sound  of  the  alter- 
cation and  the  various  cries  of  Tikes!  Pikes!'  and 


r92  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Mutiny ! '  which  broke  out,  we  came  out  of  our  lairs  in 
the  bracken  to  learn  what  was  happening.  Calling  young 
Jacob  and  three  or  four  of  the  Heritzburg  men  to  my  side, 
I  ran  to  my  lady  to  see  that  nothing  befell  her  in  the  con- 
fusion. The  noise  had  roused  her,  and  we  found  her  at  the 
door  of  her  tent  looking  out.  The  newly-kindled  fires, 
flaming  and  crackling  on  the  sloping  sides  of  the  valley, 
lit  up  a  strange  scene  of  disorder  —  of  hurrying  men  and 
plunging  horses,  for  the  alarm  had  extended  to  the  horse 
lines  —  and  for  a  moment  I  thought  that  the  mutiny  might 
spread  and  cut  the  knot  of  our  difficulties,  or  whelm  us  all 
in  the  same  ruin. 

I  had  scarcely  conceived  the  thought,  when  the  general 
passed  near  us  on  his  way  from  his  tent,  whence  he  had 
just  been  called;  and  at  the  sight  my  new-born  hopes 
vanished.  He  was  bare-headed;  he  carried  no  arms,  and 
had  nothing  in  his  hand  but  a  riding-switch.  But  the  stern, 
grim  aspect  of  his  face,  in  which  was  no  mercy  and  no 
quailing,  was  worth  a  thousand  pikes.  The  firelight  shone 
on  his  pale,  olive  cheek  and  brooding  eyes,  as  he  went  by 
us,  not  seeing  us ;  and  after  that  I  did  not  doubt  what 
would  happen,  although  for  a  moment  the  tumult  of  oaths 
and  cries  seemed  to  swell  rather  than  sink,  and  I  saw  more 
than  one  pale-lipped  officer  climbing  into  his  saddle  that  he 
might  be  able  to  fly,  if  necessary. 

The  issue  agreed  with  my  expectations.  The  heart  of 
the  disorder  lay  in  a  part  of  the  camp  separated  from  our 
quarters  by  a  brook,  but  near  enough  in  point  of  distance  ; 
so  that  we  saw,  my  lady  and  all,  pretty  clearly  what 
followed.  For  a  moment,  for  a  few  seconds,  during  which 
you  could  hear  a  pin  drop  through  the  camp,  the  general 
stood,  his  life  in  the  balance,  unarmed  in  the  midst  of 
armed  men.  But  he  had  that  set  courage  which  seems  to 
daunt  the  common  sort  and  paralyse  the  finger  on  the 
trigger;  and  he  prevailed.  The  knaves  lowered  their 
weapons  and  shrank  back  cowering  before  him.  In  a 
twinkling  the  fires  were  beaten  out  by  a  hundred  eager 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  193 

feet,  and  the  general  strode  back  to  us  through  the  silent, 
obsequious  camp. 

He  distinguished  my  lady  standing  at  the  door  of  her 
tent,  and  stepped  aside.  '  I  am  sorry  that  you  have  been 
disturbed,  Countess,'  he  said  politely.  '  It  shall  not  occur 
again.  I  will  hang  up  a  dozen  of  those  hounds  to-morrow, 
and  we  shall  have  less  barking.' 

'  You  are  not  hurt  ? '  my  lady  asked,  in  a  voice  unlike  her 
own. 

He  laughed,  deigning  no  answer  in  words.  Then  he  said, 
'  You  have  no  fire  ?  Camp  rules  are  not  for  you.  Pray 
have  one  lit.'  And  he  went  on  to  his  tent. 

I  had  the  curiosity  to  pass  near  it  when  my  lady  retired. 
I  found  a  dozen  men,  cuirassiers  of  his  privileged  troop, 
peeping  and  squinting  under  the  canvas  which  had  been 
hung  round  the  fire.  I  joined  them  and  looked ;  and  saw 
him  lying  at  length,  wrapped  in  his  cloak,  reading  '  Caesar's 
Campaigns '  by  the  light  of  the  blaze,  as  if  nothing  had 
happened. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

IN    A    GREEN    VALLEY. 

HE  was  as  good  as  his  word.  Before  the  sun  had  been  up 
an  hour  six  of  the  mutineers,  chosen  by  lot  from  a  hundred 
of  the  more  guilty,  dangled  from  a  great  tree  which  over- 
hung the  brook,  and  were  already  forgotten  —  so  short  are 
soldiers'  memories  —  in  the  hurry  and  bustle  of  a  new 
undertaking.  The  slope  of  the  ridge  which  divided  us 
from  the  neighbouring  valley  was  quickly  dotted  with 
parties  of  men  making  their  way  up  it,  through  bracken 
and  furze  which  reached  nearly  to  the  waist;  while  the 
horse  under  Count  Waska  rode  slowly  off  to  make  the 
circuit  of  the  hill  and  enter  the  next  valley  by  an  easier 
road. 

13 


T94  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

My  lady  chose  to  climb  the  hill  on  foot,  in  the  track  of 
the  pikemen,  though  the  heavy  dew,  which  the  sun  had  not 
yet  drunk  up,  soon  drenched  her  skirts,  and  she  might,  had 
she  willed  it,  have  been  carried  to  the  top  on  men's 
shoulders.  The  fern  and  long  grass  delayed  her  and  made 
our  progress  slow,  so  that  the  general's  dispositions  were 
in  great  part  made  when  we  reached  the  summit.  Busy  as 
he  still  was,  however,  he  had  eyes  for  us.  He  came  at  once 
and  placed  us  in  a  small  coppice  of  fir  trees  that  crowned 
one  of  the  knobs  of  the  ridge.  From  this  point,  where  he 
took  up  his  own  position,  we  could  command,  ourselves 
unseen,  the  whole  valley,  the  road,  and  river  —  the  scene 
of  the  coming  surprise  —  and  see  clearly,  what  no  one 
below  could  discern,  where  our  footmen  lay  in  ambush  in 
parties  of  fifty ;  the  pikemen  among  some  black  thorns, 
close  to  the  north  end  of  the  valley,  the  musketuien  a  little 
farther  within  and  almost  immediately  below  us.  The 
latter,  prone  in  the  fern,  looked,  viewed  from  above,  like 
lines  of  sheep  feeding,  until  the  light  gleamed  on  a  gun- 
barrel  or  sword-hilt  and  dispelled  the  peaceful  illusion. 

The  sun  had  not  yet  risen  above  the  hill  on  which  we 
stood,  and  the  valley  below  us  lay  cool  and  green  and  very 
pleasant  to  the  eye.  About  a  league  in  length,  it  was  no- 
where, except  at  its  southern  extremity,  where  it  widened 
into  a  small  plain,  more  than  half  a  mile  across.  At  its 
northern  end,  below  us,  and  a  little  to  the  right,  it  dimin- 
ished to  a  mere  wooded  defile,  through  which  the  river  ran 
over  rocks  and  boulders,  with  a  dull  roar  that  came  plainly 
to  our  ears.  A  solitary  house  of  some  size,  with  two  or 
three  hovels  clustered  about  it,  stood  near  the  middle  of 
the  valley ;  but  no  smoke  rose  from  the  chimney,  no  cock 
crowed,  no  dog  barked.  And,  looking  more  closely,  I  saw 
that  the  place  was  deserted. 

So  quiet  it  seemed  in  this  peaceful  Thuringian  valley,  I 
shuddered  when  I  thought  of  the  purpose  which  brought  us 
hither;  and  I  saw  my  lady's  face  grow  sad  with  a  like 
reflection.  But  General  Tzerclas  viewed  all  with  another 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  195 

mind.  The  stillness,  the  sunshine,  the  very  song  of  the 
lark,  as  it  rose  up  and  up  and  up  above  us,  and,  still  un- 
wearied, sang  its  song  of  praise,  touched  no  chord  in  his 
breast.  The  quietude  pleased  him,  but  only  because  it 
favoured  his  plans ;  the  lark's  hymn,  because  it  covered 
with  a  fair  mask  his  lurking  ambush ;  the  sunshine, 
because  it  seemed  a  good  augury.  His  keen  and  vigilant 
eye,  the  smile  which  curled  his  lip,  the  set  expression  of 
his  face,  showed  that  he  saw  before  him  a  battle-field  and 
no  more ;  a  step  upwards  —  a  triumph,  a  victory,  and  that 
was  all. 

I  blamed  him  then.  I  confess  now,  I  misjudged  him. 
He  who  leads  on  such  occasions  risks  more  than  his  life, 
and  bears  a  weight  of  responsibility  that  may  well  crush 
from  his  mind  all  moods  or  thoughts  of  weather.  At  least, 
I  did  him,  I  had  to  do  him,  this  justice :  that  he  betrayed 
no  anxiety,  uttered  no  word  of  doubt  or  misgiving.  Stand- 
ing with  his  back  against  a  tree  and  his  eyes  on  the 
northern  pass,  he  remained  placidly  silent,  or  talked  at 
his  ease.  In  this  he  contrasted  well  with  the  Waldgrave, 
who  continually  paced  up  and  down  in  the  background,  as 
if  the  fir-grove  were  a  prison  and  he  a  captive  waiting  to  be 
freed. 

'  At  what  hour  should  they  be  here  ? '  my  lady  asked 
presently,  breaking  a  long  silence. 

She  tried  to  speak  in  her  ordinary  tone,  but  her  voice 
sounded  uncertain.  A  woman,  however  brave,  is  a  woman 
still.  It  began  to  dawn  upon  her  that  things  were  going  to 
happen  which  it  might  be  unpleasant  to  see,  and  scarcely 
more  pleasant  to  remember. 

'I  am  afraid  I  cannot  say,'  the  general  answered  lightly. 
'  I  have  done  my  part ;  I  am  here.  Between  this  and  night 
they  should  be  here  too.' 

*  Unless  they  have  been  warned.' 

'Precisely,'  he  answered, '  unless  they  have  been  warned.' 

After  that  my  lady  composed  herself  anew,  and  the  day 
wore  on,  in  desultory  conversation  and  a  grim  kind  of 


196  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

picnic.  Noon  came,  and  afternoon,  and  the  Countess  grew 
nervous  and  irritable.  But  General  Tzerclas,  though  the 
hours,  as  they  passed  without  event,  without  bringing  that 
for  which  he  waited,  must  have  tried  him  severely,  showed 
to  advantage  throughout.  He  was  ready  to  talk,  satisfied 
to  be  silent.  Late  in  the  day,  when  my  lady,  drowsy  with 
the  heat,  dozed  a  little,  he  brought  out  his  Caesar,  and  read 
in  it,  as  if  nothing  depended  on  the  day,  and  he  were  the 
most  indifferent  of  spectators.  She  awoke  and  found  him 
reading,  and,  for  a  time,  sat  staring  at  him,  wondering 
where  she  was.  At  last  she  remembered.  She  sat  up 
with  a  start,  and  gazed  at  him. 

'  Are  we  still  waiting  ? '  she  said. 

'We  are  still  waiting,'  he  answered,  closing  his  book 
with  a  smile.  '  But,'  he  continued,  a  moment  later,  '  I 
think  I  hear  something  now.  Keep,  back  a  little,  if  you 
please,  Countess.' 

We  all  stood  up  among  the  trees,  listening,  and  pres- 
ently, though  the  murmuring  of  the  river  in  the  pass 
prevented  us  hearing  duller  sounds,  a  sharp  noise,  often 
repeated,  came  to  our  ears.  It  resembled  the  snapping 
of  sticks  under  foot. 

'  Whips  ! '  General  Tzerclas  muttered.  ( Stand  back,  if 
you  please.' 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth  before  a  hand- 
ful of  horsemen  appeared  on  a  sudden  in  the  road  below  us. 
'  They  came  on  like  tired  men,  some  with  their  feet  dan- 
gling, some  sitting  sideways  on  their  horses.  Many  had 
kerchiefs  wound  round  their  heads,  and  carried  their  steel 
caps  at  the  saddle-bow ;  others  nodded  in  their  seats,  as  if 
asleep.  They  were  abreast  of  our  pikemen  when  we  first 
saw  them,  and  we  watched  them  advance,  until  a  couple  of 
hundred  yards  brought  them  into  line  with  the  musketmen. 
These,  too,  they  passed  without  suspicion,  and  so  went 
jolting  and  clinking  down  the  valley,  every  man  with  a 
bundle  at  his  crupper,  and  strange  odds  and  ends  banging 
and  swinging  against  his  horse's  sides. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  197 

Two  hundred  paces  behind  them  the  first  waggon  appeared 
dragged  slowly  on  by  four  labouring  horses,  and  guarded 
by  a  dozen  foot  soldiers  —  heavy-browed  fellows,  lounging 
along  beside  the  wheels,  with  their  hands  in  their  breeches 
pockets.  Their  long,  trailing  weapons  they  had  tied  at  the 
tail  of  the  waggon.  Close  on  their  heels  came  another 
waggon  creaking  and  groaning,  and  another,  and  another, 
with  a  drowsy,  stumbling  train  of  teamsters  and  horse-boys, 
and  here  and  there  an  officer  or  a  knot  of  men-at-arms. 
But  the  foot  soldiers  had  mostly  climbed  up  into  the 
waggons,  and  lay  sprawling  on  the  loads,  with  arms  thrown 
wide,  and  heads  rolling  from  side  to  side  with  each  move- 
ment of  the  straining  team. 

We  watched  eighty  of  these  waggons  go  by ;  the  first 
must  have  been  a  mile  and  more  in  front  of  the  last.  After 
them  followed  a  disorderly  band  of  stragglers,  among  whom 
were  some  women.  Then  a  thick,  solid  cloud  of  dust,  far 
exceeding  all  that  had  gone  before,  came  down  the  pass. 
It  advanced  by  fits  and  starts,  now  plunging  forward,  now 
halting,  while  the  heart  of  it  gave  forth  a  dull  roaring 
sound  that  rose  above  the  murmur  of  the  river. 

'Cattle!'  General  Tzerclas  muttered.  'Five  hundred 
head,  I  should  say.  There  can  be  nothing  behind  that  dust. 
Be  ready,  trumpeter/ 

The  man  he  addressed  stood  a  few  paces  behind  us ;  and 
at  intervals  along  the  ridge  others  lay  hidden,  ready  to  pass 
the  signal  to  an  officer  stationed  on  the  farthest  knob,  who 
as  soon  as  he  heard  the  call  would  spring  up,  and  with  a 
flag  pass  the  order  to  the  cavalry  below  him. 

The  suspense  of  the  moment  was  such,  it  seemed  an  age 
before  the  general  gave  the  word.  He  stood  and  appeared 
to  calculate,  now  looking  keenly  towards  the  head  of  the 
convoy,  which  was  fast  disappearing  in  a  haze  of  dust,  now 
gazing  down  at  the  bellowing,  struggling,  wavering  mass 
below  us.  At  length,  when  the  cattle  had  all  but  cleared 
the  pass,  he  raised  his  hand  and  cried  sharply  — 

1  JSTow ! ' 


rp8  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

The  harsh  blare  of  the  trumpet  pierced  the  upper  still- 
ness in  which  we  stood.  It  was  repeated  —  repeated 
again ;  then  it  died  away  shrilly  in  the  distance.  In  its 
place,  hoarse  clamour  filled  the  valley  below  us.  We 
pressed  forward  to  see  what  was  happening. 

The  surprise  was  complete  ;  and  yet  it  was  a  sorry  sight 
we  saw  down  in  the  bottom,  where  the  sunshine  was  dying, 
and  guns  were  flashing,  and  men  were  chasing  one  another 
in  the  grey  evening  light.  Our  musketmen,  springing  out 
of  ambush,  had  shot  down  the  horses  of  the  last  half-dozen 
waggons,  and,  when  we  looked,  were  falling  pell-mell  upon 
the  unlucky  troop  of  stragglers  who  followed.  These,  flying 
all  ways,  filled  the  air  with  horrid  screams.  Farther  to  the 
rear,  our  pikemen  had  seized  the  pass,  and  penning  the 
cattle  into  it  rendered  escape  by  that  road  hopeless.  For- 
ward, however,  despite  the  confusion  and  dismay,  things 
were  different.  Our  cavalry  did  not  appear  —  the  dust  pre- 
vented us  seeing  what  they  were  doing.  And  here  the 
enemy  had  a  moment's  respite,  a  moment  in  which  to 
think,  to  fly,  to  stand  on  their  defence. 

And  soon,  while  we  looked  on  breathless,  it  was  evident 
that  they  were  taking  advantage  of  it.  Possibly  the  gen- 
eral had  not  counted  on  the  dust  or  the  lateness  of  the 
hour.  He  began  to  gaze  forward  towards  the  head  of  the 
column,  and  to  mutter  savagely  at  the  footmen  below  us, 
who  seemed  more  eager  to  overtake  the  fugitives  and  strip 
the  dead,  than  to  press  forward  and  break  down  opposition. 
He  sent  down  Ludwig  with  orders  ;  then  another. 

But  the  mischief  was  done  already,  and  still  the  cavalry 
did  not  appear;  being  delayed,  as  we  afterwards  learned, 
by  an  unforeseen  brook.  Some  one  with  a  head  on  his 
shoulders  had  quickly  drawn  together  all  those  among  the 
enemy  who  could  fight,  or  had  a  mind  to  fight.  We  saw 
two  waggons  driven  out  of  the  line,  and  in  a  moment  over- 
turned ;  in  a  twinkling  the  panic-stricken  troopers  and 
teamsters  had  a  haven  in  which  they  could  stand  at  bay. 

Its    value  was  soon  proved.     A  company   of   our  mus- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  199 

keteers,  pursuing  some  stragglers  through  the  medley  of 
flying  horses  and  maddened  cattle  which  covered  the 
ground  near  the  pass,  came  upon  this  rude  fortress,  and 
charged  against  it,  recklessly,  or  in  ignorance.  In  a  mo- 
ment a  volley  from  the  waggons  laid  half  a  dozen  on  the 
ground.  The  rest  fell  back,  and  scattered  hither  and 
thither.  They  were  scarcely  dispersed  before  a  handful 
of  the  enemy's  officers  and  mounted  men  came  riding  back 
from  the  front.  Stabbing  their  horses  in  the  intervals 
between  the  waggons,  they  took  post  inside.  Every  mo- 
ment others,  some  with  arms  and  some  without,  came 
straggling  up.  When  our  cavalry  at  last  arrived  on  the 
scene,  there  were  full  three  hundred  men  in  the  waggon 
work,  and  these  the  flower  of  the  enemy.  All  except  one 
had  dismounted.  This  one,  a  man  on  a  white  charger, 
seemed  to  be  the  soul  of  the  defence. 

Our  horse,  flushed  with  triumph  and  yelling  loudly,  came 
down  the  line  like  a  torrent,  sabreing  all  who  fell  in  their 
way.  Half  rode  on  one  side  of  the  convoy  and  half  on  the 
other.  They  had  met  with  no  resistance  hitherto,  and 
expected  none,  and,  like  the  musketmen,  were  on  the  barri- 
cade before  they  knew  of  its  existence.  In  the  open,  the 
stoutest  hedgehog  of  pikes  could  scarcely  have  resisted 
a  charge  driven  home  with  such  blind  recklessness ;  but 
behind  the  waggons  it  was  different.  Every  interstice 
bristled  with  pike-heads,  while  the  musketmen  poured  in 
a  deadly  fire  from  the  waggon-tops.  For  a  few  seconds  the 
place  belched  flame  and  smoke.  Two  or  three  score  of  the 
foremost  assailants  went  down  horse  and  man.  The  rest, 
saving  themselves  as  best  they  could,  swerved  off  to  either 
side  amid  a  roar  of  execrations  and  shouts  of  triumph. 

My  lady,  trembling  with  horror,  had  long  ago  retired. 
She  would  no  longer  look.  The  Waldgrave,  too,  was  gone  ; 
with  her,  I  supposed.  Half  the  general's  attendants  had 
been  sent  down  the  hill,  some  with  one  order,  some  with 
another.  In  this  crisis  —  for  I  saw  clearly  that  it  was  a 
crisis,  and  that  if  the  defenders  could  hold  out  until  dark- 


200  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

ness  fell,  the  issue  must  be  doubtful  —  I  turned  to  look  at 
our  commander.  He  was  still  cool,  but  his  brow  was  dark 
with  passion.  At  one  moment  he  stepped  forward  as  if  to 
go  down  into  the  melee  ;  the  next  he  repressed  the  impulse. 
The  level  rays  of  the  sun  which  just  caught  the  top  of  the 
hill  shone  in  our  eyes,  while  dust  and  smoke  began  to  veil 
the  field.  We  could  still  make  out  that  the  cavalry  were 
sweeping  round  and  round  the  barricade,  pouring  in  now 
and  then  a  volley  of  pistol  shots  ;  but  they  appeared  to  be 
suffering  more  loss  than  they  caused. 

Given  a  ring  of  waggons  in  the  open,  stoutly  defended 
by  resolute  men,  and  I  know  nothing  more  difficult  to 
reduce.  Gazing  in  a  kind  of  fascination  into  the  depths 
where  the  smoke  whirled  and  eddied,  as  the  steam  rolls 
this  way  and  that  on  a  caldron,  I  was  wondering  what  I 
should  do  were  I  in  command,  when  I  saw  on  a  sudden 
what  some  one  was  doing ;  and  I  heard  General  Tzerclas 
utter  an  oath  of  relief.  Back  from  the  front  of  the  convoy 
came  three  waggons,  surrounded  and  urged  on  by  a  mob 
of  footmen ;  jolting  and  bumping  over  the  uneven  ground, 
and  often  nearly  overturned,  still  they  came  on,  and  behind 
them  a  larger  troop  of  men.  Finally  they  came  almost 
abreast  of  the  enemy's  position,  and  some  thirty  paces  to 
one  side  of  it.  There  perforce  they  stayed,  for  the  leading 
horses  fell  shot ;  but  it  was  near  enough.  In  an  instant 
our  men  swarmed  up  behind  them  and  began  to  fire  volleys 
into  the  enemy's  fortress,  while  the  horse  moving  to  and 
fro  at  a  little  distance  forbade  any  attempt  at  a  sally. 

'  That  man  .has  a  head  on  his  shoulders ! '  General 
Tzerclas  muttered  between  his  teeth.  '  That  is  Ludwig ! 
Now  we  have  them  ! ' 

But  I  saw  that  it  was  not  Ludwig ;  and  presently  the 
general  saw  it  too.  I  read  it  in  his  face.  The  man  who  had 
brought  up  the  waggons,  and  who  could  still  be  seen  expos- 
ing himself,  mounted  and  bare-headed  in  the  hottest  of  the 
fire,  ordering,  threatening,  inciting,  leading,  so  that  we 
could  almost  hear  his  voice  where  we  stood,  was  the  Wald- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  201 

grave !  His  blue  velvet  cloak  and  bright  fair  head  were 
unmistakable,  though  darkness  was  fast  closing  over  the 
fight,  and  it  was  only  at  intervals  that  we  could  see  any- 
thing through  the  pall  of  smoke. 

'  Vivat  Weimar  ! '  I  cried  involuntarily,  a  glow  of  warmth 
and  pride  coursing  through  my  veins.  In  that  moment  I 
loved  the  young  man  as  if  he  had  been  my  son. 

The  next  I  fell  from  the  clouds.  What  would  my  lady 
say  if  anything  happened  to  him  ?  What  should  I  say  if 
I  stood  by  and  saw  him  fall  ?  And  he  with  no  headpiece, 
breast  or  back  !  It  was  madness  of  him  to  expose  himself  ! 
I  started  forward,  stung  by  the  thought,  and  before  I  knew 
what  I  was  doing  —  for,  in  fact,  I  could  have  done  no  good 
—  I  was  on  the  slope  and  descending  the  hill.  Almost  at 
the  same  moment  the  general  gave  the  word  to  those  who 
remained  with  him,  and  began  to  descend  also.  The  hill 
was  steep  there,  and  it  took  us  five  minutes  to  reach  the 
scene  of  action. 

If  I  had  foolishly  thought  that  I  could  do  anything,  I 
was  disappointed.  By  this  time  the  battle  was  over. 
Manning  every  waggon  within  range,  and  pouring  in  a 
steady  fire,  our  sharp-shooters  had  thinned  the  ranks  behind 
the  barricade.  The  enemy's  fire  had  first  slackened,  and 
then  ceased.  A  little  later,  one  wing,  unable  to  bear  the 
shower  of  shot,  had  broken  and  tried  to  fly,  and  in  a 
moment  our  pikemen  had  gained  the  work. 

We  heard  the  flight  and  pursuit  go  wailing  up  the  valley, 
but  the  disorder,  and  darkness,  and  noise  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  where  we  found  ourselves,  were  such  that  I  stood 
scared  and  bewildered,  uncertain  which  way  to  turn  or 
whither  to  go.  On  every  side  of  me  men  were  stripping 
the  dead,  the  wounded  were  crying  for  water,  and  cattle 
and  horses,  wounded  or  maddened,  were  rushing  up  and 
down  among  broken  waggons  and  prostrate  loads.  Such 
eyes  of  cruelty  and  greed  glared  at  me  out  of  the  glooin, 
such  shouts  cursed  me  across  dead  men  that  I  drew  my 
sword  and  carried  it  drawn.  But  the  scene  robbed  me  of 


202  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

half  my  faculties;  I  did  not  know  which  way  to  turn;  I 
did  not  know  what  to  do ;  and  until  I  came  upon  Ludwig, 
I  wandered  aimlessly  about,  looking  for  the  Waldgrave 
without  plan  or  system.  It  was  my  first  experience  of  the 
darker  side  of  war,  and  it  surpassed  in  horror  anything  I 
had  imagined  or  thought  possible. 

Ludwig,  badly  wounded  in  the  leg,  I  found  under  a 
waggon.  I  had  stood  beside  him  some  time  without  seeing 
him,  and  he  had  not  spoken.  But  when  I  moved  away  I 
suppose  he  recognized  my  figure  or  step,  for  when  I  had 
gone  a  few  paces  I  heard  a  hoarse  voice  calling  my  name.  I 
went  cautiously  back  to  the  waggon,  and  after  a  moment's 
search  detected  him  peering  from  under  it  with  a  white, 
fierce  face,  which  reminded  me  of  a  savage  creature  at  bay. 

'  Hallo  ! '  I  said.     '  Why  did  you  not  speak  before,  man  ? ' 

'  Get  me  some  water,'  he  whispered  painfully.  '  Water, 
for  the  love  of  Heaven  ! ' 

I  told  him  that  I  had  no  flask  or  bottle,  or  I  should 
before  this  have  fetched  some  for  others.  He  gave  me  his, 
and  I  was  starting  off  when  I  remembered  that  he  might 
know  how  the  Waldgrave  had  fared.  I  asked  him. 

'  He  led  the  pursuit/  he  muttered.  'He  is  all  right.' 
Then,  as  I  was  again  turning  away,  he  clutched  my  arm 
and  continued,  '  Have  you  a  pistol  ? ' 

<  Yes,'  I  said. 

'  Lend  it  to  rne  until  you  come  back/  he  gasped.  '  If 
these  vultures  find  me  they  will  finish  me.  I  know  them. 
That  is  better.  I  shall  win  through  yet.' 

I  marked  where  his  waggon  stood,  and  left  him.  The 
river  was  distant  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  but  it  lay 
low,  and  the  banks  were  steep ;  and  in  the  darkness  it  was 
not  easy  to  find  a  way  down  to  the  water.  Succeeding  at 
last — and  how  still  and  peaceful  it  seemed  as  I  bent  over 
the  gently  flowing  surface  and  heard  the  plash  and  gurgle 
of  the  willows  in  the  stream !  —  I  filled  my  bottle  and 
climbed  back  to  the  plain  level.  Here  I  found  a  change  in 
progress.  At  intervals  up  and  down  the  valley  great  fires 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A,  203 

had  been  kindled.  Some  of  these,  burning  high  already,  lit 
up  the  wrecked  convoy  and  the  dark  groups  that  moved 
round  it,  and  even  threw  a  red,  uncertain  glare  far  up  the 
slopes  of  the  hills.  Aided  by  the  light,  I  hastened  back,  and 
finding  Ludwig  without  much  difficulty,  held  the  bottle  to 
his  lips.  He  seemed  nearly  gone,  but  the  draught  revived 
him  marvellously. 

When  he  had  drunk  I  asked  him  if  I  could  do  anything 
else  for  him.  He  looked  already  more  like  himself. 

'Yes,'  he  said,  propping  his  back  against  the  wheel  and 
speaking  with  his  usual  hardihood.  'Tell  our  little  general 
where  I  am.  That  is  all.  I  shall  do  now  we  have  light.  I 
am  not  afraid  of  these  skulkers  any  longer.  But  here,  friend 
Martin.  You  asked  about  your  Waldgrave  just  now?' 

'  Yes,'  I  said.     '  Has  he  returned  ?  ' 

'  He  never  went,'  he  replied  coolly.  '  But  if  I  had  told 
you  when  you  first  asked  me,  you  would  not  have  gone  for 
water  for  me.  He  is  down.  He  fell,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
remember,  on  the  farther  side  of  the  second  fire  from 
here.' 

With  a  curse  I  ran  from  him,  raging,  and  searched  round 
that  fire  and  the  next,  like  one  beside  himself.  Many  of 
the  dead  lay  stripped  to  the  skin,  so  that  it  was  necessary 
to  examine  faces.  And  this  ghastly  task,  performed  with 
trembling  fingers  and  by  an  uncertain  light,  took  a  long 
time.  There  were  men  prowling  about  with  knives  and 
bundles,  whom  I  more  than  once  interrupted  in  their  work  ; 
but  the  sight  of  my  pistol,  and  my  face  —  for  I  was  full  of 
fierce  loathing  and  would  have  shot  them  like  rats  —  drove 
them  off  wherever  I  came.  Not  once  but  many  times  the 
wounded  and  dying  begged  me  to  stay  by  them  and  protect 
them ;  but  my  water  was  at  an  end  and  my  time  was  not 
my  own.  I  left  them,  and  ran  from  place  to  place  in  a 
fever  of  dread,  which  allowed  of  no  rest  or  relaxation. 
At  last,  when  I  had  well-nigh  given  up  hope,  I  found  him 
lying  half-stripped  among  a  heap  of  dead  and  wounded,  at 
the  farthest  corner  of  the  barricade. 


204  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

All  his  finery  was  gone,  and  his  handsome  face  and  fair 
hair  were  stained  and  bedabbled  with  dust  and  blood.  But 
he  was  not  dead.  I  could  feel  his  heart  beating  faintly  in 
his  breast;  and  though  he  lay  senseless  and  showed  no 
other  signs  of  life,  I  was  thankful  to  find  hope  remained. 
I  bore  him  out  tenderly,  and  laid  him  down  by  himself  and 
moistened  his  lips  with  the  drainings  of  my  flask.  But 
what  next  ?  I  could  not  leave  him ;  the  plunderers  who 
had  already  robbed  him  might  return  at  any  moment. 
And  yet,  without  cordials,  and  coverings,  and  many  things 
I  had  not,  the  feeble  spark  of  life  left  in  him  must  go  out. 
I  stood  up  and  looked  round  in  despair.  A  lurid  glare,  a 
pitiful  wailing,  a  passing  of  dark  figures  filled  the  valley. 
A  hundred  round  us  needed  help  ;  a  hundred  were  beyond 
help.  There  were  none  to  give  it. 

I  was  about  to  raise  him  in  my  arms  and  carry  him  in 
search  of  it  —  though  I  feared  the  effect  of  the  motion  on 
his  wounds  —  when,  to  my  joy  and  relief,  the  measured 
tramp  of  footsteps  broke  on  my  ears,  and  I  distinguished 
with  delight  a  party  of  men  approaching  with  torches. 
A  few  mounted  officers  followed  them,  and  two  waggons 
creaked  slowly  behind.  They  were  collecting  the  wounded. 

I  ran  to  meet  them.  l  Quick ! '  I  cried  breathlessly. 
'  This  way  ! ' 

'  Not  so  fast ! '  a  harsh  voice  interposed ;  and,  looking 
up,  I  saw  that  the  general  himself  was  directing  the  party. 
*  Not  so  fast,  my  friend,'  he  repeated.  '  Who  is  it  ? '  and 
leaning  forward  in  his  saddle,  he  looked  down  at  me. 

'  The  Waldgrave  Rupert,'  I  answered  impatiently.  '  He 
is  hurt  almost  to  death.  But  he  is  alive,  and  may  live, 
your  excellency.  Only  direct  them  to  come  quickly.' 

Sitting  on  his  horse  in  the  full  glare  of  the  torches,  he 
gazed  down  at  me,  his  face  wearing  a  strange  expression  of 
hesitation.  'He  is  alive  ?'  he  said  at  last. 

'  Yes,  at  present.  But  he  will  soon  be  dead  if  we  do  not 
go  to  him,'  I  retorted.  '  This  way  !  He  lies  yonder.' 

'  Lead  on ! '  the  general  said. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  205 

I  obeyed,  and  a  moment  brought  our  party  to  the  spot, 
where  the  Waldgrave  still  lay  insensible,  his  face  pale 
and  drawn,  his  eyes  half  open  and  disclosing  the  whites. 
Under  the  glare  of  the  torches  he  looked  so  like  a  corpse 
and  so  far  beyond  aid,  that  it  was  not  until  I  had  again 
thrust  my  hand  into  his  breast,  and  felt  the  movement 
of  his  heart  that  I  was  reassured. 

As  for  the  general,  after  looking  down  at  him  for  awhile, 
he  said  quietly,  'He  is  dead.' 

'  Not  so,  your  excellency/  I  answered,  rising  briskly  from 
my  knees.  '  He  is  stunned.  That  is  all.' 

'He  is  dead,'  the  general  replied  coldly.  'Leave  him. 
We  must  help  those  first  who  need  help.' 

They  were  actually  turning  away.  They  had  moved  a 
couple  of  paces  before  I  could  believe  it.  Then  I  sprang 
to  the  general's  rein. 

'  You  mistake,  your  excellency  ! '  I  cried,  my  voice  shrill 
with  excitement.  '  In  Heaven's  name,  stop  !  He  is  alive  ! 
I  can  feel  his  breathing.  I  swear  that  he  is  alive ! '  I  was 
trembling  with  emotion  and  terror. 

'  He  is  dead  ! '  he  said  harshly.     '  Stand  back ! ' 

Then  I  understood.  In  a  flash  his  wicked  purpose  lay 
bared  before  me,  and  I  knew  that  he  was  playing  with  me ; 
I  read  in  the  cold,  derisive  menace  of  his  eye  that  he  knew 
the  Waldgrave  lived,  that  he  knew  he  might  live,  might 
survive,  might  see  the  dawn,  and  that  he  was  resolved 
that  he  should  not.  The  perspiration  sprang  out  on  my 
brow.  I  choked  with  indignation. 

'  Mein  Gott ! '  I  cried  breathless,  '  and  but  for  him  you 
would  have  been  beaten.' 

'  Stand  back ! '  he  muttered  through  his  closed  teeth ; 
and  his  eyes  flickered  with  rage.  '  Are  you  tired  of  your 
life,  man  ? ' 

'  Ay,  if  you  live  ! '  I  roared ;  and  I  shook  his  rein  so 
that  his  horse  reared  and  almost  unseated  him.  But  still 
I  clung  to  it.  '  Come  back  !  Come  back  ! '  I  cried,  mad 
with  passion,  wild  with  indignation  at  treachery  so  vile, 


206  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

so  cold-blooded,  '  or  I  will  heave  you  from  your  horse,  you 
villain  !  I  will ' 

I  stumbled  as  I  spoke  over  a  broken  shaft  of  a  waggon, 
and  in  a  moment  half  a  dozen  strong  arms  closed  round 
me.  I  was  down  and  up  again  and  again  down.  I  fought 
savagely,  passionately,  at  the  last  desperately,  having  that 
cold,  sneering  face  before  me,  and  knowing  that  it  was  for 
my  life.  But  they  were  many  to  one.  They  crushed  me 
down  and  knelt  on  me,  and  presently  I  lay  panting  and 
quiet.  One  of  the  men  who  held  me  had  unsheathed  his 
dagger  and  stood  looking  to  the  general  for  a  signal.  I 
closed  my  eyes  expecting  the  blow,  and  involuntarily  drew 
in  my  breast,  as  if  that  poor  effort  might  avert  the  stroke. 

But  the  general  did  not  give  the  signal.  He  sat  gazing 
down  at  me  with  a  ruthless  smile  on  his  face.  '  Tie  him 
up/  he  said  slowly,  when  he  had  enjoyed  his  triumph  to 
the  full.  '  Tie  him  up  tightly.  When  we  get  back  to  the 
camp  we  will  have  a  shooting-match,  and  he  shall  find  us 
sport.  You  knave ! '  he  continued,  riding  up  to  me  in  a 
paroxysm  of  anger,  and  slashing  me  across  the  face  with 
his  riding-whip  so  cruelly  that  the  flesh  rose  in  great 
wheals,  and  I  fell  back  into  the  men's  arms  blind  and 
shuddering  with  pain,  '  I  have  had  my  eye  on  you  !  But 
you  will  work  me  no  more  mischief.  Throw  him  into  the 
waggon  there,'  he  continued.  'Tie  up  his  mouth  if  he 
makes  a  noise.  Has  any  one  seen  Ludwig  9 ' 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MORE    HASTE,    LESS    SPEED. 

THE  dawn  came  slowly.  Night,  loth  to  unveil  what  the 
valley  had  to  show,  hung  there  long  after  the  wooded 
knobs  that  rose  along  the  ridge  had  begun  to  appear,  look- 
ing like  grey  and  misty  islands  in  a  sea  of  vapour.  Many 
cried  for  the  light  —  what  night  passes  that  some  do  not  ? 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  207 

—  but  none  more  impatiently  than  a  woman,  whose  unquiet 
figure  began  with  the  first  glimmer  to  pace  the  top  of  the 
hill.  Sometimes  she  walked  to  and  fro  with  her  face  to 
the  sky ;  sometimes  she  stood  and  peered  into  the  depths 
where  the  fires  still  glowed  fitfully ;  or  again  listened  with 
shrinking  ears  to  the  wailing  that  rose  out  of  the  darkness. 

It  was  the  Countess.  She  had  lain  down,  because  they 
had  bidden  her  do  so,  and  told  her  that  nothing  could  be 
done  while  night  lasted.  But  with  the  first  dawn  she  was 
on  foot,  so  impatient  that  her  own  people  dared  not  come 
near  her,  so  imperious  that  the  general's  troopers  crept 
away  abashed. 

The  fight  in  the  valley  and  the  dreadful  things  she  had 
seen  and  heard  at  nightfall  had  shaken  her  nerves.  The 
absence  of  her  friends  had  finished  the  work.  She  was 
almost  distraught  this  morning.  If  this  was  war — this 
merciless  butchery,  this  infliction  of  horrible  pain  on  man 
and  beast —  their  screams  still  rang  in  her  ears  — she  had 
seen  enough.  Only  let  her  get  her  friends  back,  and  es- 
cape to  some  place  where  these  things  would  not  happen, 
and  she  asked  no  more. 

The  light,  as  it  grew  stronger,  the  sun,  as  it  rose,  filling 
the  sky  with  glory,  failed  to  comfort  her ;  for  the  one  dis- 
closed the  dead,  lying  white  and  stripped  in  the  valley 
below,  like  a  flock  of  sheep  grazing,  the  other  seemed  by 
its  very  cheerfulness  to  mock  her.  She  was  raging  like 
a  lioness,  when  the  general  at  last  appeared,  and  came 
towards  her,  his  hat  in  his  hand. 

His  eye  had  still  the  brightness,  his  cheek  the  flush  of 
victory.  He  had  lain  much  of  the  night,  thinking  his  own 
thoughts,  until  he  had  become  so  wrapped  in  himself  and 
his  plans  that  his  shrewdness  was  for  once  at  fault,  and  he 
failed  to  read  the  signs  in  her  face  which  his  own  soldiers 
had  interpreted.  He  was  all  fire  and  triumph ;  she,  sick 
of  bloodshed  and  ambition.  For  the  first  time  since  they 
had  come  together,  she  was  likely  to  see  him  as  he  was. 

'Countess,'  he  said,  as  he  stopped  before  her,  'you  will 


208  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

do  yourself  harm,  I  fear.  You  were  on  foot,  I  am  told, 
before  it  was  light.' 

'  It  is  true,'  she  said,  shuddering  and  restraining  herself 
by  an  effort. 

1  It  was  foolish,'  he  replied.  '  You  may  be  sure  that  as 
soon  as  anything  is  heard  the  news  will  be  brought  to  you. 
And  to  be  missing  is  not  to  be  dead  —  necessarily.' 

'Thank  you,'  she  answered,  her  lip  quivering.  She 
flashed  a  look  of  scorn  at  him,  but  he  did  not  see  it.  Her 
hands  opened  and  closed  convulsively. 

'He  was  last  seen  in  the  pursuit,'  the  general  continued 
smoothly,  flattering  himself  that  in  suppressing  his  own 
triumphant  thoughts  and  purposes  and  talking  her  talk  he 
was  doing  much.  'A  score  or  more  of  them  got  away 
together.  It  is  quite  possible  that  they  carried  him  off  a 
prisoner.' 

'  And  Martin  ?  '  she  said  in  a  choking  voice.  She  could 
not  stand  still,  and  had  begun  already  to  pace  up  and  down 
again.  He  walked  beside  her. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  '  I  know  nothing  about  him,' 
he  said,  scarcely  concealing  a  sneer.  '  The  man  went  where 

he  was  not  sent.  I  hope  for  the  best,  but '  He 

spread  out  his  hands  and  shook  his  head. 

'  Oh  ! '  she  said.  She  was  bursting  with  indignation. 
The  sight  of  the  dead  lying  below  had  stirred  her  nature 
to  its  depths.  She  felt  intuitively  the  shallowness  of  his 
sympathy,  the  selfishness  of  his  thoughts.  She  knew  that 
he  had  it  on  his  lips  to  talk  to  her  of  his  triumph,  and 
hated  him  for  it.  The  horror  which  the  day-old  battle- 
field sometimes  inspires  in  the  veteran  was  on  her.  She 
was  trembling  all  over,  and  only  by  a  great  effort  kept  her- 
self from  tears  and  fainting. 

<  The  man  is  useful  to  you  ?  '  he  said  after  a  pause.  He 
felt  that  he  had  gone  wrong. 

She  bowed  in  silence. 

'  Almost  necessary,  I  suppose  ?  ' 

She  bowed  again.     She  could  not  speak.     It  was  wonder 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  209 

ful.  Yesterday  she  had  liked  this  man,  to-day  she  almost 
hated  him. 

But  he  knew  nothing  of  that,  as  he  looked  round  with 
pride.  Below,  in  the  valley,  parties  of  men  were  going  to 
and  fro  with  a  sparkle  and  sheen  of  pikes.  Now  and 
again  a  trumpet  spoke,  giving  an  order.  On  the  hill,  not 
far  from  where  they  walked,  a  group  of  officers  who  had 
ascended  with  him  sat  round  a  fire  watching  the  prepara- 
tion of  breakfast.  And  of  all  he  was  the  lord.  He  had 
only  to  raise  a  finger  to  be  obeyed.  He  saw  before  him  a 
vista  of  such  battles  and  victories,  ending  —  God  knows 
in  what.  The  Emperor's  throne  was  not  above  the  dreams 
of  such  a  man.  And  it  moved  him  to  speak. 

The  flush  on  his  cheek  was  deeper  when  he  turned  to  her 
again.  '  Yes,  I  suppose  he  was  necessary  to  you,'  he  said, 
'  but  it  should  not  be  so.  The  Countess  of  Heritzburg 
should  look  elsewhere  for  help  than  to  a  servant.  Let  me 
speak  plainly,  Countess,'  he  continued  earnestly.  l  It  is 
becoming  I  should  so  speak,  for  I  am  a  plain  man.  I  am 
neither  Baron,  Count,  nor  Prince,  Margrave,  nor  Wald- 
grave.  I  have  no  title  but  my  sword,  and  no  heritage  save 
these  who  follow  me.  Yet,  if  I  cannot  with  the  help  of 
the  one  and  the  other  carve  out  a  principality  as  long  and 
as  wide  as  Heritzburg,  I  am  not  John  Tzerclas  ! ' 

'  Poor  Germany ! '  the  Countess  said  with  a  faint  smile. 

He  interpreted  the  words  in  his  own  favour,  and  shrugged 
his  shoulders.  '  Vce  victis  ! '  he  said  proudly.  '  There  was 
a  time  when  your  ancestors  took  Heritzburg  with  the 
strong  hand.  Such  another  time  is  coming.  The  future  is 
for  those  who  dare,  for  those  who  can  raise  themselves 
above  an  old  and  sinking  system,  and  on  its  ruins  build 
their  fortunes.  Of  these  men  I  intend  to  be  one.' 

The  Countess  was  an  ambitious  woman.  At  another 
time  she  might  have  heard  his  tale  with  sympathy.  But 
at  this  moment  her  heart  was  full  of  anxiety  for  others, 
and  she  saw  with  perfect  clearness  the  selfishness,  the 
narrowness,  the  hardness  of  his  aims.  She  was  angry,  too, 

14 


210  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

that  he  should  speak  to  her  now  —  with  the  dead  lying 
unburied,  and  the  lost  unfound.  and  strewn  all  round  them 
the  ghastly  relics  of  the  fight.  She  looked  at  him  hardly, 
but  she  did  not  say  a  word  ;  and  he,  following  the  exultant 
march  of  his  own  thoughts,  went  on. 

'Albert  of  Wallenstein,  starting  from  far  less  than  I 
stand  here,  has  become  the  first  man  in  Germany,'  he 
said,  heedless  of  her  silence  —  'Emperor  in  all  but  the 
name.  Your  uncle  and  mine,  from  a  country  squire,  became 
Marshal  and  Count  of  the  Empire,  and  saw  the  greatest 
quail  before  him.  Ernest  of  Mansfeld,  he  was  base-born 
and  crook-backed  too,  but  he  lay  softly  and  ruled  men  all 
his  days,  and  left  a  name  to  tremble  at.  Countess,'  the 
general  continued,  speaking  more  hurriedly,  and  addressing 
himself,  though  he  did  not  know  it,  to  the  feeling  which 
was  uppermost  in  her  mind,  'you  may  think  that  in  saying 
what  I  am  going  to  say,  I  am  choosing  an  untimely  moment; 
that  with  this  round  us,  and  the  air  scarce  free  from  powder, 
I  am  a  fool  to  talk  of  love.  But '  —  he  hesitated,  yet 
waved  his  hand  abroad  with  a  proud  gesture,  as  if  to  show 
that  the  pause  was  intentional  — '  I  think  I  am  right. 
For  I  offer  you  no  palace,  no  bed  of  down,  but  only  myself 
and  my  sword.  I  ask  you  to  share  a  soldier's  fortunes, 
and  be  the  wife  and  follow  the  fate  of  John  Tzerclas. 
May  it  be  ? ' 

His  form  seemed  to  swell  as  he  spoke.  He  had  an  air 
half  savage,  half  triumphant  as  he  turned  to  her  with  that 
question.  The  joy  of  battle  was  still  in  his  veins;  he 
seemed  but  half  sober,  though  he  had  drunk  nothing.  A 
timid  woman  might  have  succumbed  to  him,  one  of  lesser 
soul  might  have  shrunk  before  him ;  but  the  Countess 
faced  him  with  a  pride  as  great  as  his  own. 

'  You  have  spoken  plainly,'  she  said,  undaunted.  '  Per- 
haps you  will  pardon  me  if  I  speak  plainly  too.' 

'  I  ask  no  more,  sweet  cousin,'  he  answered. 

'Then  let  me  remind  you,'  she  replied,  'that  you  have 
said  much  about  John  Tzerclas,  and  little  about  the  Conn- 


LADY  ROTH  A.  211 

tess  of  Heritzburg.  You  have  given  excellent  reasons  why 
you  should  speak  here,  but  none  why  I  should  answer.  For 
shaine,  sir,'  the  Countess  continued  tremulously,  letting  her 
indignation  appear.  'I  lost  last  night  my  nearest  relative 
and  my  old  servant.  I  am  still  distracted  with  anxiety  on 
their  account.  Yet,  because  I  stand  alone,  unprotected,  and 
with  none  of  my  kin  by  my  side,  you  choose  this  time  to 
press  your  suit.  For  shame,  General  Tzerclas  ! ' 

'  Himmel ! '  he  exclaimed,  forgetting  himself  in  his  an- 
noyance —  the  fever  of  excitement  was  still  in  his  blood  — 
'do  you  think  the  presence  of  that  dandified  silken  scarf 
would  have  kept  me  silent  ?  No,  my  lady  ! ' 

She  looked  at  him  for  a  moment,  astonished.  The  con- 
temptuous reference  to  the  Waldgrave,  the  change  of  tone, 
opened  her  eyes  still  wider. 

'  I  think  you  do  not  understand  me,'  she  said  coldly. 

'I  do  more;  I  love  you,'  he  answered  hotly.  And  his  eyes 
burned  as  he  looked  at  her.  '  You  are  fit  to  be  a  queen,  my 
queen  !  And  if  I  live,  sweet  cousin,  I  will  make  you  one  ! ' 

'Let  that  go  by,'  she  said  contemptuously,  bearing  up 
against  his  look  of  admiration  as  well  as  she  could  and  con- 
tinuing to  move,  so  that  he  had  to  walk  also.  '  What  you 
do  not  understand  is  my  nature  —  which  is,  not  to  desert 
my  friends  when  they  are  in  trouble,  nor  to  play  when 
those  who  have  served  me  faithfully  are  missing.' 

'  I  can  help  neither  the  one  nor  the  other,'  he  answered. 
But  his  brow  began  to  darken,  and  he  stood  silent  a  mo- 
ment. Then  he  broke  out  in  a  different  tone.  'By 
Heaven ! '  he  said,  'I  am  in  no  mood  for  play.  And  I 
think  that  you  are  playing  with  me ! ' 

'  I  do  not  understand  yo\i ! '  she  said.  Her  tone  should 
have  frozen  him. 

'  I  have  asked  a  question.  Will  you  answer  me  yes  or 
no,'  he  persisted.  '  Will  you  be  my  wife,  or  will  you 
not?' 

She  did  not  blench.  <  This  is  rather  rough  wooing,  is  it 
not  ?  '  she  said  with  fine  scorn. 


212  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

I  This  is  a  camp,  aud  I  am  a  soldier.' 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  *  I  do  not  think  I  like 
rough  ways/  she  said. 

He  controlled  himself  by  a  mighty  effort.  '  Pardon  me,' 
he  said  with  a  sickly  smile,  which  sat  ill  on  his  flushed  and 
angry  face.  'Perhaps  I  am  somewhat  spoiled,  and  forget 
myself.  But,  like  the  man  in  the  Bible,  I  am  accustomed 
to  say  to  some,  "  Go,"  and  they  go,  and  to  others,  "  Do  it," 
and  it  is  done.  And  woe  to  those  who  disobey  me.  Pos- 
sibly this  makes  me  a  rough  wooer.  But,  Countess,  the 
ways  of  the  world  are  rough ;  the  times  are  rough.  We 
do  not  know  what  to-morrow  will  bring  forth,  and  what- 
ever we  want  we  want  quickly.  More,  sweetheart,'  he 
continued,  drawing  a  step  nearer  to  her  and  speaking  in 
a  voice  he  vainly  strove  to  modulate,  '  a  little  roughness 
before  marriage  is  better  than  ill-treatment  afterwards.  I 
have  known  men  who  wooed  on  their  knees  bring  their 
wives  to  theirs  very  quickly  after  the  knot  was  tied.  I 
am  not  of  that  kind.' 

My  lady's  heart  sickened.  Despite  the  assurance  of  his 
last  words,  she  saw  the  man  as  he  was ;  she  read  his  will 
in  his  eyes ;  and  though  his  sudden  frankness  was  in  reality 
the  result  of  overmastering  excitement,  she  had  the  added 
horror  of  supposing  it  to  be  dictated  by  her  friendless 
position  and  the  absence  of  the  last  men  who  might  have 
protected  her.  She  knew  that  her  only  hope  lay  in  her 
courage,  and,  though  her  heart  leapt  under  her  bodice,  she 
faced  him  boldly. 

'  You  wish  for  an  answer  ? '  she  asked. 

I 1  have  said  so,'  he  answered. 

<  Then  I  shall  not  give  you  one  now,'  she  replied  with  a 
quiet  smile.  '  You  see,  general,  I  am  not  one  of  those  to 
whom  you  can  say  "  Go,"  and  they  go,  and  "  Do,"  and  it  is 
done.  I  must  choose  my  own  time  for  saying  yes  or  no. 
And  this  time '  —  she  continued,  looking  round,  and  suffering 
a  little  shudder  to  escape  her,  as  she  pointed  to  the  valley 
below  — '  I  do  not  like.  I  am  no  coward,  but  I  do  not  love 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  213 

the  smell  of  blood.  I  will  take  time  to  consider  your  offer, 
if  you  please ;  and,  meanwhile,  I  think  you  gallant  gentle- 
man enough  not  to  press  me  against  my  will.' 

She  had  a  fan  in  her  hand,  and  she  began  to  walk  again ; 
she  held  it  up,  between  her  face  and  the  Sun,  which  was 
still  low.  He  walked  by  her  side,  his  brow  as  black  as 
thunder.  He  read  her  thoughts  so  far  correctly  that  he 
felt  the  evasion  boded  him  no  good ;  but  the  influence  of 
her  courage  and  pride  was  such  that  he  shrank  from  throw- 
ing down  the  mask  altogether,  or  using  words  which  only 
force  could  make  good.  True,  it  wanted  only  a  little  to 
urge  him  over  the  edge,  but  her  lucky  star  and  bold  de- 
meanour prevailed  for  the  time,  and  perhaps  the  cool,  fresh 
air  had  sobered  him. 

'I  suppose  a  lady's  wish  must  be  law,'  he  muttered, 
though  still  he  scowled.  'But  I  hope  that  you  will  not 
make  a  long  demand  on  my  patience.' 

'  That,  too,  you  must  leave  to  me,'  she  replied  with  a 
flash  of  coquetry,  which  it  cost  her  much  to  assume.  '  This 
morning  I  am  so  full  of  anxiety,  that  I  scarcely  know  what 
I  am  saying.  Surely  your  people  must  know  by  this  time 
if  they  —  they  are  among  the  dead  ?  ' 

'They  are  not,'  he  answered  sulkily. 

'Then  they  must  have  been  captured?'  she  said,  a 
tremor  in  her  voice. 

He  nodded.  At  that  moment  a  man  came  up  to  say  that 
breakfast  was  ready.  The  general  repeated  the  message  to 
her. 

'With  your  leave  I  will  take  it  with  my  women,'  she 
answered  with  presence  of  mind.  'I  slept  ill,  and  I  am 
poor  company  this  morning,'  she  added,  smiling  faintly. 

The  ordeal  over,  she  could  scarcely  keep  her  feet.  She 
longed  to  weep.  She  felt  herself  within  an  inch  of 
swooning. 

He  saw  that  she  had  turned  pale,  and  he  assented  with 
a  tolerable  grace.  '  Let  me  give  you  my  hand  to  your  fire,' 
he  said  anxiously. 


214  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'Willingly/  she  answered. 

It  was  the  last  effort  of  her  diplomacy,  and  she  hated 
herself  for  it.  Still,  it  won  her  what  she  wanted  —  peace, 
a  respite,  a  little  time  to  think. 

Yet  as  she  sat  and  shivered  in  the  sunshine,  and  made 
believe  to  eat,  and  tried  to  hide  her  thoughts,  even  from 
her  women,  a  crushing  sense  of  her  loneliness  took  pos- 
session of  her.  She  had  read  often  and  often,  with  scarce 
a  quickening  of  the  pulse,  of  men  and  women  in  tragic 
straits  —  of  men  and  women  brought  face  to  face  with 
death,  nay,  choosing  it.  But  she  had  never  pictured  their 
feelings  till  now  —  their  despair,  their  shrinkings,  their 
bitter  lockings  back,  as  the  iron  doors  closed  upon  them. 
She  had  never  considered  that  such  facts  might  enter  into 
her  own  life. 

Now,  on  a  sudden,  she  found  herself  face  to  face  with 
inexorable  things,  with  the  grim  realities  that  have  closed, 
like  the  narrowing  walls  of  the  Inquisition  dungeons,  on 
many  a  gay  life.  In  the  valley  below  they  were  burying 
.men  like  rotten  sheep.  The  Waldgrave  was  gone,  cap- 
tured or  killed.  Martin  was  gone.  She  was  alone.  Life 
seemed  a  cheap  and  uncertain  thing,  death  very  near. 
Pleasure  —  folly  —  a  dancing  on  the  grave. 

Of  her  own  free  will  she  had  placed  herself  in  the  power 
of  a  man  who  loved  her,  and  whom  she  now  hated  with  an 
untimely  hatred,  that  was  half  fear  and  half  loathing.  In 
his  power !  Her  heart  stood  still,  and  then  beat  faster,  as 
she  framed  the  thought.  The  sunshine,  though  it  was 
summer,  seemed  to  fall  grey  and  pale  on  the  hill  sward ; 
the  morning  air,  though  the  day  was  warm,  made  her 
shiver.  The  trumpet  call,  the  sharp  command,  the  glitter 
of  weapons,  that  had  so  often  charmed  her  imagination, 
startled  her  now.  The  food  was  like  ashes  in  her  mouth ; 
she  could  not  swallow  it.  She  had  been  blind,  and  now  she 
must  pay  for  her  folly. 

She  had  passed  the  night  in  the  lee  of  one  of  the  wooded 
knolls  that  studded  the  ridge,  and  her  fire  had  been  kindled 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  215 

there.  The  nearest  group  of  soldiers  —  Tzerclas'  staff, 
whose  harsh  voices  and  reckless  laughter  came  to  her  ears 
at  intervals  —  had  their  fire  full  a  hundred  paces  away. 
For  a  moment  she  entertained  the  desperate  idea  that  she 
might  slip  away,  alone,  or  with  her  women,  and,  passing 
from  clump  to  clump,  might  gain  the  valley  from  which 
she  had  ascended,  and,  hiding  in  the  woods,  get  somehow 
to  Cassel.  The  smallest  reflection  showed  her  that  the 
plan  was  not  possible,  and  it  was  rejected  as  soon  as 
formed.  But  a  moment  later  she  was  tempted  to  wish  that 
she  had  put  it  into  effect.  An  officer  made  his  appearance, 
with  his  hat  in  his  hand  and  an  air  of  haste,  and  wished  to 
know,  with  the  general's  service,  whether  she  could  be 
ready  in  an  hour. 

'  For  what  ?  '  she  asked,  rising.  She  had  been  sitting  on 
the  grass. 

'  To  start,  your  excellency,'  he  replied  politely. 

'  To  start ! '  she  exclaimed,  taken  by  surprise.  '  Whither, 
sir  ? ' 

'  On  the  return  journey.     To  the  camp.' 

The  blood  rushed  to  her  face.  '  To  the  camp  ? '  she 
repeated.  '  But  is  the  general  going  to  start  this  morning  ? 
Now?' 

'In  an  hour,  madam.' 

'  And  leave  the  Waldgrave  Rupert  —  and  my  servant  ?  ' 
she  cried,  in  a  voice  of  burning  indignation.  (  Are  they  to 
be  abandoned  ?  It  is  impossible !  I  will  see  the  general. 
Where  is  he  ? '  she  continued  impetuously. 

'  He  is  in  the  valley,'  the  man  answered. 

4  Then  take  me  to  him,'  she  said,  stepping  forward. 
'  I  will  speak  to  him.  He  cannot  know.  He  has  not 
thought.' 

But  the  officer  stood  silent,  without  offering  to  move. 
The  Countess's  eyes  flashed.  ( Do  you  hear,  sir  ? '  she 
cried.  '  Lead  on,  if  you  please.  I  asked  you  to  take  me 
to  him.' 

'  I   heard,    madam,'   he  replied   in   a   low   voice,  '  and  I 


216  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

crave  your  pardon.  But  this  is  an  army,  and  I  am  part  of 
it.  I  can  take  orders  only  from  General  Tzerclas.  I  have 
received  them,  and  I  cannot  go  beyond  them.' 

For  a  moment  the  Countess  stood  glaring  at  him,  her 
face  on  fire  with  wrath  and  indignation.  She  had  been  so 
long  used  to  command,  she  was  of  a  nature  so  frank  and 
imperious,  that  she  trembled  on  the  verge  of  an  outburst 
that  could  only  have  destroyed  the  little  dignity  it  was  still 
possible  for  her  to  retain.  Fortunately  in  the  nick  of  time 
her  eyes  met  those  of  a  group  of  officers  who  stood  at  a 
distance,  watching  her.  She  thought  that  she  read  amuse- 
ment in  their  gaze,  and  a  pride  greater  than  that  which 
had  impelled  her  to  anger  came  to  her  aid.  She  controlled 
herself  by  a  mighty  effort.  The  colour  left  her  cheeks  as 
quickly  as  it  had  flown  to  them.  She  looked  at  the  man 
coldly  and  disdainfully. 

'  True,'  she  said,  '  you  do  well  to  remind  me.  It  is  not 
easy  to  remember  that  in  war  many  things  must  give  way. 
You  may  go,  sir.  I  shall  be  ready.' 

But  as  she  stood  and  saw  her  horses  saddled,  her  heart 
sank  like  lead.  All  the  misery  of  her  false  position  came 
home  to  her.  She  felt  that  now  she  was  alone  indeed,  and 
powerless.  She  was  leaving  behind  her  the  only  chance 
that  remained  of  regaining  her  friends.  She  was  going 
back  to  put  herself  more  completely,  if  that  were  possible, 
in  the  general's  hands.  Yet  she  dared  not  resist!  She 
dared  not  court  defeat!  As  her  only  hope  and  reserve 
lay  in  her  wits  and  in  the  prestige  of  her  rank  and  beauty, 
to  lower  that  prestige  by  an  unavailing  struggle,  by  an  un- 
womanly display,  would  be  to  destroy  at  a  blow  half  her 
defences. 

The  Countess  saw  this ;  and  though  her  heart  ached  for 
her  friends,  and  her  eyes  often  turned  back  in  unavailing 
hope,  she  mounted  with  a  serene  brow.  Her  horses  had 
been  brought  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  she  rode  down  by 
a  path  which  had  been  discovered.  When  she  had  gone  a 
league  on  the  backward  road  she  came  upon  the  foremost 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  217 

part  of  the  captured  convoy ;  which,  was  immediately 
halted  and  drawn  aside,  that  she  might  pass  more  con- 
veniently and  escape  the  noise  and  dust  it  occasioned. 

Among  the  rest  were  three  waggons  laden  with  wounded. 
Awnings  had  been  spread  to  veil  them  from  the  sun,  and 
she  was  spared  the  sight  of  their  sufferings.  But  their 
meanings  and  cries,  as  the  waggons  jolted  and  creaked 
over  the  rough  road,  drove  the  blood  from  her  cheeks.  She 
passed  them  quickly  —  they  were  many  and  she  was  one, 
and  she  could  do  nothing  —  and  rode  on,  little  thinking 
who  lay  under  the  awnings,  or  whose  eyes  followed  her  as 
she  went. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

AMONG   THE    WOUNDED. 

WHEN  a  man  lies  fettered  at  the  bottom  of  a  jolting 
waggon,  and,  unable  to  help  himself,  is  made  a  pillow  for 
wounded  wretches,  whose  feverish  struggles  go  near  to 
stifling  him ;  and  when  to  these  miseries  are  added  the 
heat  of  a  sultry  night,  thirst,  and  the  near  prospect  of 
death,  passion  soon  dies  down.  Anger  gives  place  to  pain 
and  the  chill  of  apprehension.  The  man  begins  to  know 
himself  again  —  forgets  his  enemies,  thinks  of  his  friends. 

It  was  so  with  me.  The  general's  back  was  not  turned 
before  I  ceased  to  cry  out ;  and  that  gained  me  the  one 
alleviation  I  had  —  that  I  was  not  gagged.  They  piled  the 
waggon  with  bleeding,  groaning  men,  —  of  our  side,  of 
course,  for  no  quarter  was  given  to  the  other,  —  and  1 
shuddered  as  each  mangled  wretch  came  in.  Still,  I  had  my 
mouth  free.  If  I  could  not  move,  I  could  breathe,  and 
hear  what  passed  round  me.  I  could  see  the  dark  night 
sky  lit  up  by  the  glare  of  the  fires,  or,  later,  watch  the  stars 
shining  coldly  and  indifferently  down  on  this  scene  of  pain 
and  misery. 

When  the  waggon  was  full  they  drove  us,  jolting  and 


218  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

wailing,  to  an  appointed  place,  and  took  out  some,  leaving 
only  enough  to  cover  the  floor  thickly.  And  then,  ah  me  ! 
the  night  began.  That  which  at  first  had  been  an  incon- 
venience, became  in  time  intolerable  pain.  The  ropes  cut 
into  my  flesh,  the  boards  burned  my  back  ;  we  were  so 
closely  packed,  and  I  was  so  tightly  bound  that  I  could  not 
move  a  limb.  Every  moment  the  wounded  cried  for  water, 
and  those  in  pain  wailed  and  lamented,  while  all  night  the 
wolves  howled  round  the  camp.  In  one  corner,  a  man 
whose  eyes  were  injured  babbled  unceasingly  of  his  mother 
and  his  home.  Hour  by  hour,  for  the  frenzy  held  him  all 
night,  he  rolled  his  headj  and  chattered,  and  laughed !  In 
the  morning  he  died,  and  we  thanked  God  for  it. 

The  peasant  and  the  soldier  sup  the  real  miseries  of  war ; 
the  noble  and  the  officer,  whose  it  is  to  dare  death  in  the 
field,  but  rarely,  very  rarely  to  lie  wounded  under  the 
burning  sun  or  through  the  freezing  night,  only  taste 
them.  A  place  of  arms  falls ;  there  is  quarter  for  my 
lord  and  a  pass  and  courtesy  for  my  lady,  but  edge  and 
point  for  the  common  herd.  To  risk  all  and  get  nothing 
—  or  a  penny  a  day,  unpaid  —  is  the  lot  of  most. 

When  morning  at  last  dawned,  I  was  half  dead.  My 
head  seemed  bursting;  my  hands  were  purple  with  the 
tightness  of  my  bonds.  Deep  groans  broke  from  me.  I 
moved  my  eyes  —  the  only  things  I  could  move  —  in  an 
agony.  Bound  me  I  heard  the  sick  thanking  God  as  the 
light  grew  stronger,  and  muttering  words  of  hope.  But 
the  light  helped  me  little.  Where  I  lay,  trussed  like  a 
fowl,  I  could  see  nothing  except  the  sky  —  whence  the  sun 
would  soon  add  to  my  miseries  —  and  the  heads  of  the  two 
men  who  sat  propped  against  the  waggon  boards  next 
to  me. 

I  took  one  of  these  to  be  dead,  for  he  had  slipped  to  one 
side,  and  the  arm  with  which  he  had  stayed  himself  against 
the  floor  of  the  waggon  stood  out  stiff  and  stark.  The  other 
man  had  the  comfort  of  the  corner ;  there  was  a  cloak 
under  him  and  a  pad  behind  him.  But  his  head  was  sunk 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  219 

on  his  breast,  and  for  a  while  I  thought  him  dead  too,  and 
had  a  horrible  dread  that  he  would  slide  over  on  to  my  face 
and  stifle  me.  But  he  did  not,  and  by-and-by,  when  the 
sun  had  risen,  and  I  felt  that  I  could  bear  it  no  longer,  he 
woke  up  and  raised  his  fierce,  white  face  and  groaned. 

It  was  Ludwig.  He  stared  at  me  for  a  minute  or  more 
in  a  dazed,  stupid  fashion.  Then  he  moved  his  leg  and 
cried  out  with  pain.  After  that  he  looked  at  me  more 
sensibly,  and  by-and-by  spoke. 

( Donner,  man  ! '  he  said.  '  What  is  it  ?  You  look  like  a 
ripe  mulberry.' 

I  tried  to  answer  him,  but  my  lips  and  throat  were 
so  parched  and  swollen  I  could  only  murmur.  He  saw  my 
lips  move,  however,  and  guessed  how  it  was  with  me. 

'  They  have  tied  you  up  with  a  vengeance  ! '  he  said  with 
a  grim  smile.  '  Here,  Franz  !  Willibrod  !  Who  is  there  ? 
Come,  some  one.  Do  you  hear,  you  lazy  knaves  ? '  he 
continued  in  a  hoarse  croak.  l  When  I  am  about  again  I 
will  find  some  of  you  quicker  heels  ! ' 

A  man  just  risen  came  grumbling  to  the  side  of  the 
waggon.  Ludwig  bade  him  climb  in  and  loosen  my  bonds, 
and  set  me  up  against  the  side. 

1  And  take  away  that  carrion  ! '  he  added  brutally.  '  Dead 
men  pay  no  fares.  That  is  better.  Ay,  give  him  some 
water.  He  will  come  round.' 

I  did  presently,  though  for  a  time  the  blood  flowing  where 
it  had  been  before  restrained,  caused  me  horrible  pain,  and 
my  tongue,  when  I  tried  to  thank  him,  seemed  to  be  too 
large  for  my  mouth.  But  I  could  now  sit  up,  and  stretch 
my  limbs,  and  even  raise  my  hands  to  my  mouth.  Hope 
returned.  My  thoughts  flew  back  to  Marie  Wort.  Her 
pale  face  and  large  eyes  rose  before  my  eyes,  and  filled 
them  with  tears.  Then  there  was  my  lady.  And  the 
Waldgrave.  Doubtless  he,  poor  fellow,  was  dead.  But  the 
rest  lived  —  lived,  and  would  soon  look  to  me,  look  to  any 
one  for  help.  On  that  I  became  myself  again.  I  shook  off 
the  pain  and  lethargy  and  despair  of  the  night,  and  took  up 


220  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

the  burden  of  life.  If  my  wits  could  save  us,  or,  failing 
them,  some  happy  accident,  I  would  not  be  wanting.  I  had 
still  a  day  or  two,  and  all  the  chances  of  a  journey. 

Ludwig  gave  me  food  and  a  drink  from  his  flask.  I 
thanked  him  again. 

'  You  are  a  man  ! '  he  said,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  '  It 
was  a  pity  you  would  knot  your  own  rope.  As  for  these 
chicken-hearted  tremblers,'  he  continued,  squinting  askance 
at  our  companions,  '  a  fico  for  them !  To  call  themselves 
soldiers  and  pule  like  women  !  Faugh  !  I  am  sick  of  them ! ' 

For  my  part,  the  sights  I  saw  from  the  waggon  seemed 
more  depressing.  In  every  direction  parties  were  moving, 
burying  our  dead,  putting  wounded  horses  out  of  their 
misery,  collecting  plunder.  One  division  was  at  work 
driving  the  poor  lowing  cattle,  already  over-driven,  back 
the  way  they  had  come,  through  the  pass  and  up  the  river 
bank.  Another  was  righting  such  of  the  waggons  as  had 
been  overturned,  or  dragging  them  out  of  the  nether  part 
of  the  valley.  Everywhere  men  were  working,  shouting, 
swearing,  spurning  the  dead.  All  showed  that  the  general 
did  not  mean  to  linger,  but  would  secure  his  booty  by  a 
timely  retreat  to  his  camp. 

They  came  by-and-by  and  horsed  our  waggon  and  turned 
us  round,  and  presently  we  took  our  place  in  the  slow, 
creaking  procession,  and  began  to  move  up  the  pass.  I 
looked  everywhere  for  my  lady,  but  could  see  nothing  of 
her.  The  noise  was  prodigious,  the  dust  terrible,  the  glare 
intolerable.  I  was  thankful  when  some  kind  heart  brought 
a  waggon  cloth  and  stretched  it  over  us.  After  that  things 
were  better;  and  between  the  heat  and  the  monotony  of 
the  motion  I  fell  asleep,  and  slept  until  the  afternoon  was 
well  advanced. 

Then  a  singular  thing  occurred.  The  waggon  which  fol- 
lowed ours  was  drawn  by  four  horses  abreast,  whose  heads 
as  they  plodded  wearily  along  at  the  tail  of  our  waggon 
were  so  close  to  us  that  we  could  see  easily  into  the  vehicle, 
which  was  full  of  wounded  men,  and  covered  with  an  awn- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  221 

mg.  We  could  see  easily,  I  say ;  but  the  steady  cloud  of 
dust  through  which  we  moved  and  the  white  glare  of  the 
sunlight  gave  to  everything  so  phantom-like  an  appearance 
that  it  was  hard  to  say  whether  we  were  looking  on  real 
things. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  first  thing  I  saw  when  I  awoke 
and  rubbed  my  eyes,  was  the  Waldgrave's  face !  He  lay  in 
the  front  part  of  the  waggon,  his  head  on  the  side-board. 
Thinking  I  dreamed,  or  that  the  dust  deceived  me,  I  rubbed 
my  eyes  again  and  looked.  Still  it  was  he.  His  eyes  were 
closed.  He  was  pale,  where  the  dust  did  not  hide  all 
colour;  his  head  moved  with  the  motion  of  the  wheels. 
But  he  seemed  to  be  alive,  for  even  while  I  looked,  a  man 
who  sat  by  him  leaned  forward  and  moistened  his  forehead 
with  water. 

Trembling  with  excitement,  I  touched  Ludwig  on  the 
shoulder.  '  Look ! '  I  said.  '  The  Waldgrave  ! ' 

He  looked  and  nodded.  '  Yes/  he  said,  chuckling.  <  Now 
you  see  what  you  have  done  for  yourself.  And  all  for 
nothing  ! ' 

'  But  who  took  him  up  ? '  I  persisted. 

'  The  general,' he  answered  sententiously.     'Who  else?' 

'  Why  ? '  I  cried  in  a  fever.     '  Why  did  he  do  it  ?  ' 

Ludwig  shrugged  his  shoulders.  'He  knows  his  own 
business,'  he  said.  'I  suppose  that  he  found  he  had  life 
in  him.' 

'  Did  he  take  him  up  at  once  ?     After  I  was  seized  ?  ' 

'Of  course.  Whether  he  will  live  or  no  is  another 
matter.' 

The  helpless  way  in  which  the  dusty,  bedraggled  head 
rolled  as  the  waggon  jolted,  warned  me  of  that.  Still,  he 
was  alive.  He  might  live ;  and  I  longed  to  be  beside  him, 
to  tend  and  nurse  him,  to  make  the  most  of  the  least  hope. 
But  my  eyes  fell  on  my  fettered  hands ;  and  when  I  looked 
again  he  had  disappeared.  He  had  sunk  down  in  the  cart, 
and  was  out  of  sight.  I  was  left  to  wonder  whether  he  was 
dead,  or  had  only  changed  his  posture  for  another  more 


222  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

comfortable.  And  the  dust  growing  ever  thicker,  and  the 
sun-glare  less  as  the  day  advanced,  I  presently  lost  sight 
even  of  the  waggon. 

We  lay  that  night  in.  a  coppice  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river.  Each  waggon  halted  where  it  stood  at  sunset,  so 
that  there  was  no  common  camp,  but  all  along  the  road  a 
line  of  bivouacs.  But  for  the  cloud  of  anxiety  which  dark- 
ened my  mind,  and  the  cords  which  bound  my  hands  and 
constantly  reminded  me  of  my  troubles,  I  might  have 
enjoyed  the  comparative  quietness  of  that  night,  the  evening 
coolness,  the  soft  green  light,  the  freshness  of  leaf  and  bough, 
which  lapped  us  round  and  seemed  so  much  the  more  refresh- 
ing, as  we  had  passed  the  day  in  a  fever  of  heat  and  dust. 
But  the  unexpected  sight  of  the  Waldgrave  had  excited 
me ;  and  I  confess  that  as  we  came  nearer  to  the  camp,  the 
tremors  I  felt  on  my  own  account  grew  more  violent.  I 
recalled  with  a  shudder  the  shooting-match  at  which  I  had 
been  present,  and  the  leather  targets.  I  drew  vivid  pictures 
of  another  shooting-match  in  the  same  valley  —  of  my  lady 
looking  on  in  ignorance,  of  minutes  of  suspense,  of  a  sud- 
den pang,  a  gagged  scream,  of  hours  of  lingering  torture. 

Against  such  dreams  the  silence  and  beauty  of  the  night 
were  powerless,  and  the  morning  found  me  wakeful  and  un- 
refreshed,  divided  between  reluctance  to  desert  my  lady 
and  the  instinct  which  bade  me  make  an  attempt  at  escape 
by  the  way,  and  while  the  chances  of  the  journey  were  still 
mine.  How  I  might  have  acted  had  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity presented  itself,  I  cannot  say ;  but  as  things  went, 
I  did  nothing,  and  a  little  before  sunset  on  the  third  day 
we  gained  the  camp. 

Then,  I  confess,  I  wished  with  all  my  heart  that  I  had 
taken  any  chance,  however  slight.  At  sight  of  the  familiar 
lines,  the  dusty,  littered  roads,  the  squalid  crowds  that  came 
out  to  meet  us,  my  gorge  rose.  The  very  smell  of  the  place 
which  I  had  so  hated  gave  me  qualms.  I  turned  hot  and 
cold  as  we  rumbled  slowly  through  the  throng  and  one 
pointed  me  out  to  another,  and  I  saw  round  me  again  the 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A,  223 

dark,  lowering  faces,  the  unsexed  women,  the  horde  of  vile 
sutlers  and  footboys.  They  surged  round  the  waggon, 
jeering  and  staring ;  and  if  I  had  shrunk  from  them  when 
my  hands  were  free,  I  loathed  them  still  more  now  that  I 
lay  a  prisoner  and  any  moment  might  place  me  at  their 
mercy. 

I  had  seen  nothing  of  the  Waldgrave  or  the  waggon 
which  carried  him  for  nearly  two  days,  but  as  we  passed 
through  the  gates  I  caught  sight  of  the  latter  moving 
slowly  on,  a  little  way  in  front  of  us.  Both  waggons  halted 
inside  the  camp  while  the  wounded  were  taken  out.  I  pre- 
pared to  follow,  but  was  bidden  to  stay.  Then  I  began  to 
realize  my  position.  When  the  waggon  bore  me  on  alone 
—  alone,  though  two  or  three  pikemen  and  a  rabble  of 
gibing,  grinning  horse-boys  marched  beside  me  —  I  felt  my 
blood  run  cold,  and  found  my  only  consolation  in  the  fact 
that  the  other  waggon  still  went  in  front,  and  seemed  to  be 
bound  for  the  same  goal. 

'  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ?  '  I  asked  one  of  the 
ruffians  who  guarded  me. 

'  Prison,'  he  answered  laconically. 

And  a  strange  prison  it  was.  On  the  verge  of  the  camp, 
near  the  river,  where  a  snug  farmhouse  had  once  stood,  rose 
four  gaunt  walls,  blackened  with  smoke.  The  roof  was 
gone  —  burned  off ;  but  the  rooftree,  charred  and  soot- 
begrimed,  still  ran  from  gable  to  gable.  A  strong,  high 
gate  filled  the  room  of  the  door ;  the  windows  had  been 
bricked  up.  When  I  saw  the  waggon  which  preceded  me 
halt  before  this  melancholy  place,  I  looked  out  between  hope 
and  fear  —  fearing  some  act  of  treachery,  hoping  to  see  the 
Waldgrave.  But  the  blackguard  crowd  which  surrounded 
the  dobrway  was  so  great  that  it  hid  everything ;  and  I  had 
to  curb  my  impatience  until  in  turn  my  waggon  stopped  in 
the  midst  of  them. 

A  mocking  voice  called  to  me  to  descend,  and  though  I 
liked  the  look  of  the  place  little,  and  the  aspect  of  the  gang 
still  less,  I  had  no  choice  but  to  obey.  I  scrambled  down, 


224  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

and  passed  as  quickly  as  I  could  down  the  lane  opened  for 
rne.  A  row  of  more  villainous  faces  it  has  seldom  been  my 
fate  to  see,  but  the  last  on  the  right  by  the  gate  was  so  much 
the  worst,  that  it  caught  my  eye  instantly.  It  was  seamed 
with  scars  and  bloated  with  drink,  and  it  wore  a  ferocious 
grin.  I  was  not  surprised  when  the  knave,  a  huge  pike- 
man,  dealt  me,  as  I  passed,  a  brutal  shove  with  his  knee, 
which  sent  me  staggering  into  the  enclosure,  where  I  fell 
all  at  length  on  my  face. 

The  blow  hurt  my  hip  cruelly,  and  yet  the  sight  of  that 
drunken,  ugly  giant  filled  me  with  a  rush  of  joy  and  hope 
that  effaced  all  other  feelings.  I  forgot  my  fellow-prisoners, 
I  forgot  even  the  Waldgrave  —  who  to  be  sure  was  there, 
sitting  doubled  up  against  the  wall,  and  looking  very  white 
and  sick.  For  the  man  with  the  seamed  face  was  Drunken 
Steve  of  Heritzburg,  whom  we  had  left  behind  us  in  the 
castle,  to  be  cured  of  his  wounds.  I  had  punished  him  a 
dozen  times  ;  almost  as  often  my  lady  had  threatened  to 
drive  him  from  the  place  and  her  service.  Always  he  had 
had  the  name  of  a  sullen,  wilful  fellow.  But  I  had  found 
him  staunch  as  any  tyke  in  time  of  need.  For  dogged 
fidelity  and  a  ferocious  courage,  proof  against  the  utmost 
danger,  I  knew  that  I  could  depend  on  him  against  the 
world ;  while  the  prompt  line  of  conduct  he  had  adopted  at 
sight  of  me  led  me  to  hope  something  from  wits  which 
drink  had  not  yet  deadened. 

It  was  well  I  had  this  spark  of  hope,  for  I  found  the 
Waldgrave  so  ill  as  to  be  beyond  comfort  or  counsel,  and 
without  it  I  should  have  been  in  a  parlous  state.  The  place 
of  our  confinement  was  roofless,  ill-smelling,  strewn  with 
refuse  and  filth,  a  mere  dog-yard.  A  little  straw  alone 
protected  us  from  the  soil.  Everything  we  did  was  watched 
through  the  open  bars  of  the  gate ;  and  bad  as  this  place 
was,  we  shared  it  with  two  soldiers,  who  lay,  heavily 
shackled,  in  one  corner,  and  sullenly  eyed  my  movements. 

I  did  what  I  could  for  the  Waldgrave,  and  then,  as  dark- 
ness fell,  I  sat  down  with  my  back  to  the  wall  and  thought 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  225 

over  our  position  —  miserably  enough.  Half  an  hour 
passed,  and  I  was  beginning  to  nod,  when  a  slight  noise  as 
of  a  rat  gnawing  a  board  caught  my  ear.  I  raised  my  head 
and  listened  ;  the  sound  came  from  the  gate.  I  stood  up 
and  crept  towards  it.  As  I  expected,  I  found  Steve  on 
guard  outside.  Even  in  the  darkness  it  was  impossible  to 
mistake  his  huge  figure. 

'  Hush  ! '  he  muttered.     '  Is  it  you,  master  ?  ' 

'  Yes,'  I  replied  in  the  same  tone.     '  Are  you  alone  ? ' 

'For  the  moment/  he  answered  hoarsely.  'Not  for  long. 
So  speak  quickly.  What  is  to  be  done  ? ' 

Alas  !  that  was  more  than  I  could  say.  '  What  of  my 
lady  ? '  I  replied  vaguely.  '  Is  she  here  ?  In  the  camp  ? ' 

'  To  be  sure.' 

'  And  Marie  Wort  ?     The  Papist  girl  ?  ' 

'  Yes,  yes.' 

'Then  you  must  see  Marie,'  I  answered.  'She  will  know 
my  lady's  mind.  Until  we  know  that,  we  can  do  nothing. 
Do  not  tell  her  where  I  am  —  it  may  hurt  the  girl ;  or  of 
the  Waldgrave,  but  learn  how  they  are.  If  things  are  bad 
with  my  lady,  bid  them  gain  time.  You  understand  ? ' 

'Yes,  yes,'  he  grunted.  'And  that  is  to  be  all,  is  it? 
You  will  have  nothing  done  to-night  ?  ' 

'  What,  here  ?  ' 

'  To  be  sure.' 

'No,  no,'  I  replied,  trembling  for  the  man's  rashness. 
'  We  can  do  nothing  here  until  horses  are  got  and  placed  for 
us,  and  the  pass-word  learned,  and  provisions  gathered,  and 
half  a  dozen  other  things.' 

'  Donner  !  I  don't  know  how  all  that  is  to  be  done,'  he 
muttered  despondently. 

'  Nor  I,'  I  said  with  a  shiver.  '  You  have  not  heard  any- 
thing of  a  —  a  shooting-match,  have  you  ? ' 

'  It  is  for  Sunday,'  he  answered. 

'  And  to-day  is  Tuesday,'  I  said.  '  Steve !  you  will  not 
lose  time?' 

'  No,  no.' 

15 


226  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

1  You  will  see  her  in  the  morning  ?  In  the  morning,  lad/ 
I  continued  feverishly,  clinging  to  the  bars  and  peering  out 
at  him.  '  I  must  get  out  of  this  before  Sunday  !  And  this 
is  Tuesday !  Steve ! ' 

'  Hush ! '  he  answered.     '  They  are  coming  back.' 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

GREEK     AND     GREEK. 

WHAT  my  lady's  thoughts  were  during  her  long  ride  back 
to  the  camp,  I  do  not  know.  But  I  have  heard  her  say  that 
when  she  rode  into  the  village,  a  day  and  a  half  in  advance 
of  the  dusty,  lumbering  convoy,  she  could  scarcely  believe 
that  it  was  the  place  she  had  left,  the  place  in  which  she 
had  lived  for  a  fortnight.  And  this,  though  all  remained 
the  same.  So  much  does  the  point  from  which  we  look  at 
things  alter  their  aspect. 

The  general  had  sent  on  the  news  of  the  Waldgrave's 
loss  by  messenger,  that  she  might  be  spared  the  pain  of 
telling  it ;  and  Fraulein  Max  and  Marie  Wort  were  waiting 
on  the  wooden  platform  before  the  house  when  she  rode 
wearily  in.  The  sight  of  those  two  gave  her  a  certain 
sense  of  relief  and  home  coming,  merely  because  they  were 
women  and  wore  petticoats.  But  that  was  all.  The  village, 
the  reeking  camp,  the  squalid  soldiery,  the  whining  beggars 
filled  her —  now  that  her  eyes  were  opened  and  she  saw  this 
ugly  face  of  war  stripped  of  the  glamour  with  which  her 
fancy  had  invested  it  —  with  fear  and  repulsion.  She 
wondered  that  she  could  ever  have  liked  the  place  and  been 
gay  in  it,  or  drawn  pleasure  from  the  amusements  which 
now  seemed  poor  and  tawdry. 

Fraulein  Max  ran  down  into  the  road  to  meet  her,  and 
when  she  had  dismounted,  covered  her  with  tearful  caresses. 
But  the  Countess,  after  receiving  her  greetings,  still  looked 
round  wistfully  as  if  she  missed  some  one ;  and  then  in  a 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  227 

moment  moved  from  her,  and  mounting  the  steps  went 
swiftly  to  the  dark  corner  by  the  porch  whither  Marie 
Wort  had  run,  and  where  she  now  stood  leaning  against 
the  house  with  her  face  to  the  wall. 

My  lady,  whom  few  had  ever  seen  unbend,  took  the  girl  in 
/ier  arms,  and  laid  her  head  on  her  shoulder  and  stroked 
her  hair  pitifully. 

<  Hush,  hush,  child ! '  she  murmured,  her  eyes  wet  with 
tears.  '  Poor  child,  poor  child !  Is  it  so  very  bad  ? ' 

But  Marie  could  only  sob. 

They  went  into  the  house  in  a  moment  after  that,  those 
three,  with  the  waiting-women.  And  then  a  change  came 
over  the  Countess.  Fraulein  Max  blinked  to  see  it.  My 
lady  who,  outside,  had  been  so  tender,  began,  before  her 
riding  cloak  was  off,  to  walk  up  and  down  like  a  caged  wolf, 
with  hard  eyes  and  cheeks  burning  with  indignation.  Frau- 
lein Max  spoke  to  her  timidly  —  said  that  the  meal  was 
ready,  that  my  lady's  woman  was  waiting,  that  my  lady 
must  be  tired.  But  the  Countess  put  her  by  almost  with 
an  oath.  For  hours  she  had  been  playing  a  part,  a  thing 
her  proud  soul  loathed.  For  hours  she  had  hidden,  not  her 
sorrow  only  and  her  anger,  but  her  anxieties,  her  fears,  her 
terrors.  Now  she  must  be  herself  or  die. 

Besides,  the  thing  pressed  !  She  had  her  woman's  wits, 
vand  might  stave  off  the  general's  offer  for  a  few  days,  for 
a  week.  But  a  week  —  what  was  that?  No  wonder  that 
she  looked  on  the  four  helpless  women  round  her,  and 
realised  that  these  were  her  only  helpers  now,  her  only 
protection ;  no  wonder  that  she  cried  out. 

1 1  have  been  a  fool ! '  she  said,  looking  at  them  with 
burning  eyes.  '  A  fool !  When  Martin  warned  me,  I  would 
not  listen ;  when  the  Waldgrave  hinted,  I  laughed  at  him. 
I  was  bewitched,  like  a  silly  fool  in  her  teens !  Don't 
contradict  me ! '  And  she  stamped  her  foot  impatiently. 
Fraulein  Max  had  raised  her  hand. 

1 1  don't,'  the  Fraulein  answered.  '  I  don't,  understand 
you.' 


228  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Do  you  understand  that  empty  chair  ? '  my  lady  an- 
swered bitterly.  '  Or  that  empty  stool  ?  ' 

Fraulein  Anna  blinked  more  and  more.  '  But  war,'  she 
said  mildly  — '  a  necessary  evil,  Voetius  calls  it  —  war, 
Countess ' 

'  Oh ! '  my  lady  cried  in  a  fury.  '  As  carried  on  by  these, 
it  is  a  horror,  a  fiendish  thing !  I  did  not  know  before. 
Now  I  have  seen  it.  Wait,  wait,  girl,  until  it  takes  those 
you  love,  and  threatens  your  own  safety,  and  then  talk  to 
me  of  war ! ' 

But  Fraulein  Anna  set  her  face  mutinously.  '  Still,  I  do 
not  understand/  she  said  slowly,  winking  her  short-sighted 
eyes  like  an  owl  in  the  daylight.  '  You  talk  as  if  we  had 
cause  not  only  to  grieve  —  as  we  have,  indeed  —  but  to  fear. 
Are  we  not  safe  here  ?  General  Tzerclas ' 

'Bah!'  the  Countess  cried,  trembling  with  emotion. 
'  Don't  let  me  hear  his  name !  I  hate  him.  He  is  false. 
False,  girl.  I  do  not  trust  him ;  I  do  not  believe  him ;  and 
I  would  to  Heaven  we  were  out  of  his  hands  ! ' 

Even  Marie  Wort,  sitting  white  and  quiet  in  a  corner, 
looked  up  at  that.  As  for  Fraulein  Max,  she  passed  her 
tongue  slowly  over  her  lips,  but  did  not  answer  ;  and  for  a 
moment  there  was  silence  in  the  room.  Then  Marie  said 
very  softly,  '  Thank  God  ! ' 

My  lady  turned  to  her  roughly.  '  Why  do  you  say  that  ? ' 
she  said.  .  . 

'  Because  of  what  I  have  learned  since  you  left  us,'  the 
girl  answered,  in  a  frightened  whisper.  '  There  was  a  man 
who  lived  in  this  house,  my  lady.' 

'  Yes,  yes,'  the  Countess  muttered  eagerly.  '  I  remember 
he  begged  of  me,  and  General  Tzerclas  gave  him  money. 
That  was  one  of  the  things  that  blinded  me.' 

'  He  hung  him  afterwards,'  the  girl  whispered  in  a  shaking 
voice.  '  By  the  river,  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  camp.' 

The  Countess  stared  at  her  incredulously,  rage  and  horror 
in  her  face.  '  That  man  whom  I  saw  ?  '  she  cried.  '  It  is 
not  possible  !  You  have  been  deceived.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  229 

But  Marie  Wort  shook  her  head.  '  It  is  true,'  she  said 
simply. 

'  Then  Heaven  help  us  all ! '  the  Countess  whispered  in  a 
thrilling  tone.  'For  we  are  in  that  man's  power  ! ' 

There  was  a  stricken  silence  after  that,  which  lasted 
some  minutes.  The  room  seemed  to  grow  darker,  the 
house  more  silent,  the  road  on  which  they  looked  through 
the  unglazed  window  more  dusty,  squalid,  dreary  —  dreary 
with  the  summer  dreariness  of  drought.  One  of  the  wait- 
ing-women began  to  cry.  The  other  stood  bolt  upright, 
looking  out  with  startled  eyes,  and  lips  half  open. 

'Yes,  all,'  the  Countess  presently  went  on,  her  voice 
hard  and  composed.  'He  has  asked  me  to  be  his  wife. 
He  has  honoured  me  so  far.'  She  laughed  a  thin,  mirthless 
laugh.  'If  I  am  willing,  therefore,  well.  If  I  am  not  — 
still  he  will  wed  me.  After  that  he  will  keep  us  here  in 
the  midst  of  these  horrors.  Or  he  will  march  to  Heritz- 
burg,  and  then  God  help  Heritzburg  and  my  people ! ' 

Fraulein  Anna  passed  her  tongue  over  her  lips  again, 
and  shifted  her  hands  in  her  lap.  She  was  paler  than 
usual.  But  she  did  not  speak. 

'  The  child  ?  '  the  Countess  said  presently,  in  a  different 
tone.  '  Has  it  been  recovered  ? ' 

Marie  shook  her  head;  and  a  moment  later  threw  her 
kerchief  over  her  face  and  went  out.  They  heard  her  sobs 
as  she  went  along  the  passage. 

My  lady  frowned.  '  If  we  could  get  a  message  to  Count 
Leuchtenstein,'  she  murmured  thoughtfully.  'But  I  do 
not  know  where  he  is.  He  may  return  to  seek  the  child, 
however ;  and  that  is  our  best  chance,  I  think.' 

They  brought  food  in  after  that,  and  the  council  broke 
up.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  Countess  found  herself 
little  the  better  for  its  advice. 

In  the  evening  the  general  called  to  learn  whether  she 
was  much  fatigued;  and  she  fancied  she  detected  in  his 
manner  a  masterfulness  and  a  familiarity  from  which  it 
had  been  free.  But  her  suspicions  rendered  her  so  prone  to 


230  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

read  between  the  lines,  that  it  is  possible  that  she  saw 
some  things  that  were  not  there.  Her  own  feelings  she 
succeeded  in  masking,  except  in  one  matter.  He  brought 
Count  Waska  with  him;  and  it  occurred  to  her,  in  her 
fear  and  helplessness,  that  she  might  enlist  the  Bohemian 
on  her  side.  Such  schemes  come  to  women,  even  to  proud 
women  ;  and  though  Waska,  half  sportsman  and  half  sot, 
and  in  body  a  mountain  of  flesh,  was  an  unlikely  knight- 
errant,  she  plied  him  so  craftily,  that  when  the  two  were 
gone  she  sat  for  an  hour  in  a  state  of  exaltation,  believing 
that  here  a  new  and  unexpected  way  to  safety  might  open. 
The  Bohemian  was  second  in  command,  though  at  a  great 
interval.  He  was  popular,  and  in  some  points  a  gentleman. 
Could  she  excite  in  him  jealousy,  discontent,  even  passion, 
her  position  was  such  that  she  was  in  no  mood  to  stand  on 
scruples. 

But  when  the  general  came  next  day,  lie  did  not  bring 
Waska;  nor  the  day  after.  And  he  showed  so  plainly 
that  he  saw  through  the  design,  and  suspected  her,  that  he 
left  her  white  and  furious.  Indeed  it  was  a  question  who 
was  left  by  this  interview  the  more  excited,  my  lady,  who 
saw  the  circle  growing  ever  narrower  round  her,  and  read 
with  growing  clearness  the  man's  determination  to  win  her 
at  all  costs  and  by  all  means ;  or  the  general,  whose  passion 
every  day  augmented,  who  saw  in  her  both  the  woman  he 
desired  and  the  heiress,  and  would  fain,  if  he  could,  have 
won  her  heart  as  well  as  her  person. 

The  possession  of  power  tempts  to  the  use  of  it,  and  he 
began  to  lose  patience.  He  had  a  screw  in  readiness, 
he  fancied,  that  would  bend  even  that  proud  neck  and 
humble  those  knees.  A  day  or  two  more  he  would  give 
her,  and  then  he  would  turn  it.  Hate  itself  is  not  more 
cruel  than  love  despised ! 

But  he  did  not  count  on  her  influence  over  him.  The 
day  or  two  passed,  and  another  day  or  two,  and  still  she 
kept  him  amused  and  kept  him  at  bay.  Sometimes  he  saw 
through  her  wiles,  and  came  near  to  vowing  that  he  would 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  231 

not  give  her  another  hour.  Will  she,  nill  she,  she  should 
wed  him.  But  then  the  glamour  of  her  presence  and  her 
beauty  blinded  him  again.  And  so  a  week  went  slowly 
by ;  each  day  won,  at  what  a  cost  of  pride,  of  courage,  of 
.self-respect ! 

At  the  end  of  that  time  my  lady's  face  had  grown  so 
white  and  drawn  under  the  strain,  that  when  she  sat  alone 
she  looked  years  older  than  her  age.  The  light  still 
flashed  in  her  eyes ;  they  had  grown  only  the  larger.  But 
her  cheeks  and  her  lips  had  lost  their  colour,  her  hair  its 
gloss.  When  no  one  was  watching  her,  she  glanced  round 
her  like  a  hunted  animal.  When  anything  crossed  her,  she 
flew  into  fearful  rages  with  her  women.  They  were  so 
useless,  so  helpless !  She  was  like  a  scorpion  I  have 
heard  of,  that,  ringed  round  with  fire,  stings  all  within  its 
reach. 

How  many  nights  she  tossed,  sleepless  ;  how  often  she 
went  over  the  odds  against  her ;  grasped  at  this  idea  or 
that;  thought  of  horses  and  roads,  ways  and  means,  the 
distance  to  Cassel,  or  the  chances  of  Leuchtenstein's  return, 
I  cannot  say ;  but  I  can  guess.  At  last,  during  one  of 
these  night  vigils,  something  happened.  She  was  lying, 
torturing  herself  with  the  thought  that  to  this  constant 
putting  off  there  could  only  be  one  end,  when  she  heard 
sneaking  footsteps  moving  in  the  passage.  The  wall  which 
divided  it  from  her  room  ran  beside  her  bed,  and,  lying 
still,  she  heard  the  rustling  of  garments  against  the  boards. 

Something  like  this  she  had  feared  in  her  worst  mo- 
ments ;  and  on  the  instant  she  sat  up  and  listened,  her 
heart  beating  wildly.  Since  her  return  the  two  waiting- 
women  had  lain  in  her  room.  She  could  hear  them  breath- 
ing now.  But  beside  and  above  that,  she  could  hear  the 
stealthy  rustling  sound  she  had  heard  before.  Then  it 
ceased. 

She  rose  trembling.  The  windows  were  shuttered,  and 
the  lamp  which  commonly  burned  in  a  basin  had  gone  out. 
The  room,  therefore,  was  quite  dark.  Without  awaking 


232  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

the  women  she  stole  across  the  floor  to  the  door,  and  there 
set  her  ear  to  the  panels  and  listened.  But  she  heard 
nothing  except  the  distant  shout  of  a  reveller,  and  the 
mournful  howling  of  one  of  the  pack  of  curs  that  infested 
the  camp ;  all  was  still. 

Still  she  crouched  there  listening,  and  presently  her 
patience  was  rewarded.  Some  one  entered  by  the  outer 
door,  and  went  quickly  along  the  passage,  the  boards  creak- 
ing so  loudly  that  it  was  a  wonder  the  women  were  not 
aroused.  The  footsteps  went  straight  to  the  room  where 
Fraulein  Max  and  Marie  Wort  slept.  Some  one  had  been 
out  and  returned! 

There  was  a  hint  of  treachery  here,  and  my  lady  stood 
up,  her  face  growing  hard.  Which  of  the  two  was  it  ?  In 
a  moment  she  had  her  answer.  A  dozen  times  in  the  last 
week  Marie  had  puzzled  her ;  a  dozen  times  the  Papist 
girl's  easy  resignation  had  angered  her.  She  had  caught 
her  more  than  once  smiling  —  smiling  childish  smiles  that 
would  not  be  repressed.  This  was  the  secret,  then ! 

The  Countess  grew  hot,  and  in  a  moment  was  out  of  her 
room  and  at  the  door  of  that  other  room.  A  taper  still 
burned  there  ;  its  light  showed  through  the  cracks.  With- 
out hesitation  she  thrust  the  door  open,  and  entering  sur- 
prised Marie  Wort  in  the  very  act.  The  girl  was  standing 
in  the  middle  of  the  floor  taking  off  a  cloak.  Guilt  and 
fear  were  written  on  her  face. 

'  You  wicked  girl ! '  the  Countess  cried,  her  eyes  blazing. 

Then  she  stopped.  For  Marie,  instead  of  retreating  be- 
fore her,  pointed  with  a  warning  finger  to  a  second  empty 
pallet ;  and  my  lady  looking  round  saw  with  astonishment 
that  Fraulein  Max  was  missing. 

1  What  does  this  mean  ? '  the  Countess  muttered  in  a 
different  tone. 

Marie,  trembling  and  listening,  put  her  finger  to  her  lips. 
'Hush,  hush,  my  lady,'  she  whispered.  'She  must  not 
find  you  here  !  She  must  not,  indeed.  I  heard  her  go  out, 
and  I  followed.  I  have  heard  all.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  233 

'  All  ? '  the  Countess  stammered,  and  she  began  to 
tremble. 

*  Yes,'  the  girl  answered.  Then  '  Go,  go  !  my  lady,'  she 
cried.  She  was  shaking  with  agitation,  and  looked  round 
as  if  for  a  way  of  escape.  But  there  was  no  second  door  to 
the  room.  '  If  she  finds  you  here  we  are  lost.  Go  back, 
and  in  the  morning ' 

She  stopped  abruptly,  and  her  eyes  grew  wide.  The 
Countess  listening  too,  and  catching  the  infection  of  her 
fear,  heard  a  board  creak  below. 

For  a  moment  the  two  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor, 
gazing  into  one  another's  eyes.  Then  Marie,  with  a  sudden 
movement,  thrust  my  lady  down  on  her  pallet,  and  with 
the  other  hand  put  out  the  light. 

They  lay,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe,  and  heard  Fraulein 
Anna  grope  her  way  in,  and  stand  awhile,  silent  and  listen- 
ing, as  if  she  found  something  suspicious  in  the  extinction 
of  the  light.  But  the  taper  —  it  was  a  mere  rushlight  — 
had  done  this  before,  and  Marie  stirred  so  naturally,  that 
Fraulein  Max's  doubts  passed  away.  She  put  off  her  cloak 
quickly,  and  presently  —  but  not,  as  it  seemed  to  the 
Countess,  until  an  hour  had  elapsed  —  they  heard  her 
begin  to  breathe  regularly.  A  few  minutes  more  and  they 
had  no  doubt  she  slept.  Then  Marie  touched  my  lady's 
arm,  and  the  latter,  rising  softly,  stole  out  of  the  room. 

The  adventure  left  the  Countess's  thoughts  in  a  whirl. 
She  hated  double-dealing  as  much  as  any  one,  and  she 
could  scarcely  contain  herself  before  Fraulein  Max.  It 
was  as  much  as  she  could  do  to  wear  a  smooth  face  for  an 
hour,  until  a  chance  occasion,  which  fortunately  came 
early  in  the  day,  left  her  alone  with  Marie.  Then  she 
turned,  almost  fiercely,  on  the  girl. 

'  What  is  this  ? '  she  said.  '  What  does  it  all  mean  ? 
Himmel !  Tell  me  !  Tell  me  quickly ! ' 

Marie  Wort  looked  at  her  with  tears  in  her  eyes.  '  You 
should  be  able  to  guess,  my  lady,'  she  said  sadly.  '  There  is 
a  traitor  among  us.' 


234  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

1  Fraulein  Anna  ?  ' 

Marie  nodded.     '  She  is  in  his  pay/  she  said  simply. 

' His  ?     The  general's  ?  ' 

'  Yes,'  Marie  answered,  speaking  quickly,  with  her  eyes 
on  the  door.  '  She  met  him  last  night,  and  told  him  what 
you  feel  about  him.' 

The  Countess  drew  a  deep  breath.  Her  face  turned  a 
shade  paler.  She  sat  up  straight  in  her  chair.  'All  ? '  she 
said  huskily. 

Marie  nodded. 

'And  he?' 

'  He  said  he  would  have  an  answer  to-day.  Then  I  left. 
I  did  not  hear  any  more.' 

The  Countess  sat  for  a  minute  as  if  turned  to  stone. 
Here  was  an  end  of  putting  off  —  of  smiles,  and  pleasant 
words,  and  the  little  craftinesses  which  had  hitherto  served 
her.  Stern  necessity,  hard  fate  were  before  her.  She  was 
of  a  high  courage,  but  terror  was  fast  mastering  her,  when 
Marie  touched  her  on  the  arm. 

'If  you  can  put  him  off,  until  this  evening/  the  girl 
muttered,  'I  think  something  may  be  done.' 

'  What  ? ' 

'  Something.  I  do  not  know  what/  the  girl  answered  in 
a  troubled  tone. 

The  Countess  rose  suddenly.  '  Ah  !  I  would  like  to  choke 
her ! '  she  cried  hoarsely.  She  stretched  out  her  arms. 

'  Hush,  hush,  my  lady  ! '  Marie  whispered.  The  Countess's 
violence  frightened  her.  '  I  think,  if  you  can  put  him  off 
until  to-night,  we  may  contrive  something.' 

'  We  ?  You  and  I  ? '  my  lady  said  in  scorn.  But  as  she 
looked  at  the  other's  pale,  earnest  face,  her  own  softened, 
her  tone  changed.  'Well,  it  shall  be  as  you  wish/  she 
said,  letting  her  arms  drop.  '  You  are  a  better  plotter  than 
I  am.  But  I  fear  Fraulein  Cat,  Fraulein  Snake,  Fraulein 
Fox  will  prove  the  best  of  all ! ' 

Marie's  frightened  face  showed  that  she  thought  this 
possible,  but  she  said  no  more,  and  would  give  my  lady 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  235 

no  explanation,  though  the  Countess  pressed  for  it.  It  was 
decided  in  the  end  that  the  Countess  should  plead  sudden 
illness,  and  use  that  pretext  both  to  avoid  Fraulein  Max, 
and  postpone  her  interview  with  the  general  until  the 
evening. 

He  came  at  noon,  and  the  Countess  heard  his  horses 
pawing  and  fretting  in  the  road,  and  she  sat  up  in  her 
darkened  room  with  a  white  face.  What  if  he  would  not 
accept  the  excuse  ?  If  he  would  see  her  ?  What  if  the 
moment  had  come  in  which  his  will  and  hers  must  decide 
the  struggle  ?  She  rose  and  stood  listening,  as  fierce  in 
her  beauty  as  any  trapped  savage  creature.  Her  heart  beat 
wildly,  her  bosom  heaved.  But  in  a  moment  she  heard  the 
horses  move  away,  and  presently  Marie  came  in  to  tell  her 
that  he  would  wait  till  evening. 

'  No  longer  ? '  the  Countess  asked,  hiding  her  face  in  the 
pillow. 

'  Not  an  hour,  he  said,'  Marie  answered,  indicating  by  a 
gesture  that  the  door  was  open,  and  that  Fraulein  Max  was 
listening.  '  He  was  —  different/  she  whispered. 

1  How  ? '  my  lady  muttered. 

'He  swore  at  me,'  Marie  answered  in  the  same  tone. 
'And  he  spoke  of  you  —  somehow  differently.' 

The  Countess  laughed,  but  far  from  joyously.  '  I  sup- 
pose to-night — I  must  see  him?'  she  said.  She  tried  as 
she  spoke  to  press  herself  more  deeply  into  the  pillows,  as 
if  she  might  escape  that  way.  Her  flesh  crept,  and  she 
shivered  though  she  was  as  hot  as  fire. 

Once  or  twice  in  the  hours  which  followed  she  was  almost 
beside  herself.  Sometimes  she  prayed.  More  often  she 
walked  up  and  down  the  room  like  one  in  a  fever.  She  did 
not  know  on  what  she  was  trusting,  and  she  could  have 
struck  Marie  when  the  girl,  appealed  to  again  and  again, 
would  explain  nothing,  and  name  no  quarter  from  which 
help  might  come.  All  the  afternoon  the  camp  lay  grilling 
in  the  sunshine,  and  in  the  shuttered  room  in  the  middle  of 
it  my  lady  suffered.  Had  the  house  lain  by  the  river  she 


236  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

might  have  tried  to  escape;  but  the  camp  girdled  it  on 
three  sides,  and  on  the  fourth,  where  a  swampy  inlet 
guarded  one  flank  of  the  village,  a  deep  ditch  as  well  as 
the  morass  forbade  all  passage. 

She  remained  in  her  room  until  she  heard  the  unwelcome 
sounds  which  told  of  the  general's  return.  Then  she  came 
into  the  outer  room,  her  eyes  glittering,  a  red  spot  on 
either  cheek,  all  pretence  at  an  end.  Her  glance  withered 
Fraulein  Max,  who  sat  blinking  in  a  corner  with  a  very 
evil  conscience.  And  to  Marie  Wort,  when  the  girl  came 
near  her  on  the  pretence  of  adjusting  her  lace  sleeves,  she 
had  only  one  word  to  say. 

'  You  slut ! '  she  hissed,  her  breath  hot  on  the  girl's 
cheek.  'If  you  fail  me  I  will  kill  you.  Begone  out  of 
my  sight ! ' 

The  child,  excited  before,  broke  down  at  that,  and, 
bursting  into  a  fit  of  weeping,  ran  out.  Her  sobs  were 
still  in  the  air  when  General  Tzerclas  entered. 

The  Countess's  face  was  flushed,  and  her  bearing,  full  of 
passion  and  defiance,  must  have  warned  him  what  to  expect, 
if  he  felt  any  doubt  before.  The  sun  was  just  setting,  the 
room  growing  dusk.  He  stood  awhile,  after  saluting  her, 
in  doubt  how  he  should  come  to  the  point,  or  in  admi- 
ration ;  for  her  scorn  and  anger  only  increased  her  beauty 
and  his  feeling  for  her.  At  length  he  pointed  lightly  to  the 
women,  who  kept  their  places  by  the  door. 

'  Is  it  your  wish,  fair  cousin,'  he  said  slowly,  '  that  I 
should  speak  before  these,  or  will  you  see  me  alone  ? ' 

'  Your  spy,  that  cat  there,'  my  lady  answered,  carried 
away  by  her  temper,  '  may  go !  The  women  will  stay.' 

Fraulein  Max,  singled  out  by  that  merciless  finger, 
sprang  forward,  her  face  mottled  with  surprise  and  terror. 
For  a  second  she  hesitated.  Then  she  rushed  towards  her 
friend,  as  if  she  would  embrace  her. 

'  Countess  ! '  she  cried.  '  Rotha !  Surely  you  are  mad  ! 
You  cannot  think  that  I  would ' 

My  lady  turned,  and  in  a  flash  struck  her  fiercely  on  the 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  237 

cheek  with  her  open  hand.  '  Liar  ! '  she  cried  ;  '  go  to  your 
master,  you  whipped  hound  ! ' 

The  Dutch  woman  recoiled  with  a  cry  of  pain,  and 
sobbing  wildly  went  back  to  her  place.  The  general 
laughed  harshly. 

'  You  hold  with  me,  sweetheart,'  he  said.  '  Discipline 
before  everything.  But  you  have  not  my  patience.' 

She  looked  at  him  —  angry  with  him,  angry  with  herself, 
her  hand  to  her  bosom  —  but  she  did  not  answer. 

'  For  you  must  allow,'  he  continued  —  his  tone  and  his 
eyes  still  bantered  her  — ( that  I  have  been  patient.  I  have 
been  like  a  man  athirst  in  the  desert ;  but  I  have  waited 
day  after  day,  until  now  I  can  wait  no  longer,  sweetheart.' 

'  So  you  tamper  with  my  —  with  that  woman  !  '  she  said 
scornfully. 

The  general  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  laughed  grimly. 
'  Why  not  ? '  he  said.  '  What  are  waiting-women  and  the 
like  made  for,  if  not  to  be  bribed  —  or  slapped  ?  ' 

She  hated  him  for  that  sly  hit  —  if  never  before ;  but 
she  controlled  herself.  She  would  throw  the  burden  on 
him. 

He  read  the  thought,  and  it  led  him  to  change  his  tone. 
There  was  a  gloomy  fire  in  his  eyes,  and  smouldering 
passion  in  his  voice,  when  he  spoke  again. 

'Well,  Countess,'  he  said,  'I  am  here  for  your  answer.' 

« To  what  ?  ' 

1  To  the  question  I  asked  you  some  time  ago,'  he  rejoined, 
dwelling  on  her  with  sullen  eyes.  '  I  asked  you  to  be  my 
wife.  Your  answer? ' 

'  Prythee ! '  she  said  proudly,  '  this  is  a  strange  way  of 
wooing.' 

'  It  is  not  of  my  choice  that  I  woo  in  company,'  he 
answered,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  'My  answer;  that  is 
all  I  want  —  and  you.' 

'  Then  you  shall  have  the  first,  and  not  the  last,'  she 
exclaimed  on  a  sudden  impulse.  '  No,  no  —  a  hundred 
times  no !  If  you  do  not  see  that  by  pressing  me  now,' 


238  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

she  continued  impetuously,  '  when  I  ain  alone,  friendless, 
and  unprotected,  you  insult  me,  you  should  see  it,  and 
I  do.' 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence.  Then  he  laughed  ;  but 
his  voice,  notwithstanding  his  mastery  over  it  and  in  spite  of 
that  laugh,  shook  with  rage  and  resentment.  '  As  I  expected/ 
he  said.  '  I  knew  last  night  that  you  hated  me.  You  have 
been  playing  a  part  throughout.  You  loathe  me.  Yes, 
madam,  you  may  wince,'  he  continued  bitterly,  'for  you 
shall  still  be  my  wife  ;  and  when  you  are  my  wife  we  will 
talk  of  that.' 

'  Never ! '  she  said,  with  a  brave  face ;  but  her  heart  beat 
wildly,  and  a  mist  rose  before  her  eyes. 

He  laughed.  '  My  legions  are  round  me,'  he  said.  'Where 
are  yours  ? ' 

1  You  are  a  gentleman,'  she  answered  with  an  effort.  '  You 
will  let  me  go.' 

'If  I  do  not?' 

'  There  are  those  who  will  know  how  to  avenge  me.' 

He  laughed  again.  <  I  do  not  know  them,  Countess,'  he 
said  contemptuously.  '  For  Hesse  Cassel,  he  has  his  hands 
full  at  Nuremberg,  and  will  be  likely,  when  Wallenstein  has 
done  with  him,  to  need  help  himself.  The  King  of  Sweden 
—  the  brightest  morning  ends  soonest  in  rain  —  and  he  will 
end  at  Nuremberg.  Bernhard  of  Weimar,  Leuchtenstein, 
all  the  fanatics  fall  with  him.  Only  the  banner  of  the  Free 
Companies  stands  and  waves  ever  the  wider.  Be  advised,' 
he  continued  grimly.  '  Bend,  Countess,  or  I  have  the  means 
to  break  you.' 

'  Never ! '  she  said. 

'  So  you  say  now,'  he  answered  slowly.  '  You  will  not 
say  so  in  five  minutes.  If  you  care  nothing  for  yourself, 
have  a  Care  for  your  friends.' 

'  You  said  I  had  none,'  she  retorted  hoarsely. 

'  None  that  can  help  you,'  he  replied ;  '  some  that  you 
can  help.' 

She   started  and  looked   at  him  wildly,  her  lips  apart. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  239 

her  eyes  wide  with  hope,  fear,  expectation.  What  did  he 
mean  ?  What  could  he  mean  by  this  new  turn  ?  Ha ! 

She  had  her  face  towards  the  window,  and  dark  as  the 
room  was  growing  —  outside  the  light  was  failing  fast  —  he 
read  the  thought  in  her  eyes,  and  nodded. 

'  The  Waldgrave  ? '  he  said  lightly.  '  Yes,  he  is  alive, 
Countess,  at  present ;  and  your  steward  also.' 

'  They  are  prisoners  ? '  she  whispered,  her  cheeks  grown 
white. 

'  Prisoners  ;  and  under  sentence  of  death.' 

'Where?' 

'  In  my  camp.' 

'  Why  ?  '  she  muttered.  But  alas  !  she  knew  ;  she  knew 
already. 

'They  are  hostages  for  your  good  behaviour,'  he  answered 
in  his  cold,  mocking  tone.  'If  their  principal  satisfies  me, 
good;  they  will  go  free.  If  not,  they  die  —  to-morrow.' 

'  To-morrow  ? '  she  gasped. 

'  To-morrow,'  he  answered  ruthlessly.  '  Now  I  think  we 
understand  one  another.' 

She  threw  up  her  hand  suddenly,  as  if  she  were  about  to 
vent  on  him  all  the  passions  which  consumed  her  —  the 
terror,  rage,  and  shame  which  swelled  in  her  breast.  But 
something  in  his  gibing  tone,  something  in  the  set  lines  of 
his  figure  —  she  could  not  see  his  face  —  checked  her.  She 
let  her  hand  fall  in  a  gesture  of  despair,  and  shrank  into 
herself,  shuddering.  She  looked  at  him  as  at  a  serpent  — 
that  fascinated  her.  At  last  she  murmured  — 

'  You  will  not  dare.     What  have  they  done  to  you  ? ' 

'Nothing,'  he  answered.  'It  is  not  their  affair;  it  is 
yours.' 

For  a  moment  after  that  they  stood  confronting  one 
another  while  the  sound  of  the  women  sobbing  in  a  corner, 
and  the  occasional  jingle  of  a  bridle  outside,  alone  broke 
the  silence.  Behind  her  the  room  was  dark  ;  behind  him, 
through  the  open  windows,  lay  the  road,  glimmering  pale 
through  the  dusk.  Suddenly  the  door  at  her  back  opened, 


24o  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

and  a  bright  light  flashed  on  his  face.  It  was  Marie  Wort 
bringing  in  a  lamp.  No  one  spoke,  and  she  set  the  lamp 
on  the  table,  and  going  by  him  began  to  close  the  shutters. 
Still  the  Countess  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone,  and  he  stood 
watching  her. 

'  Where  are  they  ? '  she  moaned  at  last,  though  he  had 
already  told  her. 

'  In  the  camp,'  he  said. 

1  Can  I  —  can  I  see  them  ?  '  she  panted. 

1  Afterwards,'  he  answered,  with  the  smile  of  a  fiend ; 
'when  you  are  my  wife.' 

That  added  the  last  straw.  She  took  two  steps  to  the 
table,  and  sitting  down  blindly,  covered  her  face  with  her 
hands.  Her  shoulders  began  to  tremble,  her  head  sank 
lower  and  lower  on  the  table.  Her  pride  was  gone. 

'  Heaven  help  us  ! '  she  whispered  in  a  passion  of  grief. 
'  Heaven  help  us,  for  there  is  no  help  here ! ' 

'  That  is  better,'  he  said,  eyeing  her  coldly.  <  We  shall 
soon  come  to  terms  now.' 

In  his  exultation  he  went  a  step  nearer  to  her.  He  was 
about  to  touch  her  —  to  lay  his  hand  on  her  hair,  believing 
his  evil  victory  won,  when  suddenly  two  dark  figures  rose 
like  shadows  behind  her  chair.  He  recoiled,  dropping  his 
hand.  In  a  moment  a  pistol  barrel  was  thrust  into  his  face. 
He  fell  back  another  step. 

( One  word  and  you  are  a  dead  man  ! '  a  stern  voice  hissed 
in  his  ear.  Then  he  saw  another  barrel  gleam  in  the  lamp- 
light, and  he  stood  still. 

'  What  is  this  ? '  he  said,  looking  from  one  to  the  other,  his 
voice  trembling  with  rage. 

'  Justice ! '  the  same  speaker  answered  harshly.  '  But 
stand  still  and  be  silent,  and  you  shall  have  your  life.  Give 
the  alarm,  and  you  die,  general,  though  we  die  the  next 
minute.  Sit  down  in  that  chair.' 

He  hesitated.  But  the  two  shining  barrels  converging 
on  his  head,  the  two  grim  faces  behind  them,  were  convinc- 
ing ;  in  a  moment  he  obeyed. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  241 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    FLIGHT. 

ONE  of  the  men  —  it  was  I  —  muttered  something  to  Marie, 
and  she  snuffed  the  wick,  and  blew  up  the  light.  In  a 
moment  it  filled  the  room,  disclosing  a  strange  medley  of 
levelled  weapons,  startled  faces,  and  flashing  eyes.  In  one 
corner  Fraulein  Max  and  the  two  women  cowered  behind 
one  another,  trembling  and  staring.  At  the  table  sat  my 
lady,  with  dull,  dazed  eyes,  looking  on,  yet  scarcely  under- 
standing what  was  happening.  On  either  side  of  her  stood 
Steve  and  I,  covering  the  general  with  our  pistols,  while 
the  Waldgrave,  who  was  still  too  weak  for  much  exertion, 
kept  guard  at  the  door. 

Tzerclas  was  the  first  to  speak.  '  What  is  this  foolery  ? ' 
he  said,  scowling  unutterable  curses  at  us.  '  What  does 
this  mean  ? ' 

'  This  ! '  I  said,  producing  a  piece  of  hide  rope.  '  We  are 
going  to  tie  you  up.  If  you  struggle,  general,  you  die.  If 
you  submit,  you  live.  That  is  all.  Go  to  work,  Steve.' 

There  was  a  gleam  in  Tzerclas'  eye,  which  warned  me  to 
stand  back  and  crook  my  finger.  His  face  was  black  with 
fury,  and  for  an  instant  I  thought  that  he  would  spring 
upon  us  and  dare  all.  But  prudence  and  the  pistols  pre- 
vailed. With  an  evil  look  he  sat  still,  and  in  a  trice  Steve 
had  a  loop  round  his  arms  and  was  binding  him  to  the 
heavy  chair. 

I  knew  then  that  as  far  as  he  was  concerned  we  were  safe ; 
and  I  turned  to  bid  the  women  get  cloaks  and  food,  adjur- 
ing them  to  be  quick,  since  every  moment  was  precious. 

'Bring  nothing  but  cloaks  and  food  and  wine,'  I  said. 
'We  have  to  go  a  league  on  foot  and  can  carry  little.' 

The  Countess  heard  my  words,  and  looked  at  me  with 
growing  comprehension.  '  The  Waldgrave  ? '  she  muttered. 
« Is  he  here  ?  ' 

16 


242  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

He  came  forward  from  the  door  to  speak  to  her ;  but 
when  she  saw  him,  and  how  pale  and  thin  he  was,  with 
great  hollows  in  his  cheeks  and  his  eyes  grown  too  large 
for  his  face,  she  began  to  cry  weakly,  as  any  other  woman 
.might  have  cried,  being  overwrought.  I  bade  Marie,  who 
alone  kept  her  wits,  to  bring  her  wine  and  make  her  take 
it;  and  in  a  minute  she  smiled  at  us,  and  would  have 
thanked  us. 

( Wait ! '  I  said  bluntly,  feeling  a  great  horror  upon  me 
whenever  I  looked  towards  the  general  or  caught  his  eye. 
'  You  may  have  small  cause  to  thank  us.  If  we  fail,  Heaven 
and  you  forgive  us,  my  lady,  for  this  man  will  not.  If  we 
are  retaken ' 

'  We  will  not  be  retaken  ! '  she  cried  hardily.  '  You  have 
horses  ? ' 

'  Five  only,'  I  answered.  '  They  are  all  Steve  could  get, 
and  they  are  a  league  away.  We  must  go  to  them  on  foot. 
There  are  eight  of  us  here,  and  young  Jacob  and  Ernst  are 
watching  outside.  Are  all  ready  ?  ' 

My  lady  looked  round ;  her  eye  fell  on  Fraulein  Max,  who 
with  a  little  bundle  in  her  arms  had  just  re-entered  and 
stood  shivering  by  the  door.  The  Dutch  girl  winced  under 
her  glance,  and  dropping  her  bundle,  stooped  hurriedly  to 
pick  it  up. 

'That  woman  does  not  go !'  the  Countess  said  suddenly. 

I  answered  in  a  low  tone  that  I  thought  she  must. 

'  No ! '  my  lady  cried  harshly  — she  could  be  cruel  some- 
times—  '  not  with  us.  She  does  not  belong  to  our  party. 
Let  her  stay  with  her  paymaster,  and  to-morrow  he  will 
doubtless  reward  her.' 

What  reward  she  was  likely  to  get  Fraulein  Max  knew 
well.  She  flung  herself  at  my  lady's  feet  in  an  agony  of 
fear,  and  clutching  her  skirts,  cried  abjectly  for  mercy ;  she 
would  carry,  she  would  help,  she  would  do  anything,  if  she 
might  go  !  Knowing  that  we  dared  not  leave  her  since 
she  would  be  certain  to  release  the  general  as  soon  as  our 
backs  were  turned,  I  was  glad  when  Marie,  whose  heart 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  243 

was  touched,  joined  her  prayers  to  the  culprit's  and  won  a 
reluctant  consent. 

It  has  taken  long  to  tell  these  things.  They  passed  very 
quickly.  I  suppose  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
elapsed  between  our  first  appearance  and  this  juncture, 
which  saw  us  all  standing  in  the  lamplight,  laden  and  ready 
to  Joe  gone ;  while  the  general  glowered  at  us  in  sullen  rage, 
and  my  lady,  with  a  new  thought  in  her  mind,  looked  round 
in  dismay. 

She  drew  me  aside.  '  Martin,'  she  said,  '  his  orderly  is 
waiting  in  the  road  with  his  horse.  The  moment  we  are 
gone  he  will  shout  to  him.' 

'  We  have  provided  for  that,'  I  answered,  nodding.  Then 
assuring  myself  by  a  last  look  round  that  all  were  ready, 
I  gave  the  word.  '  Now,  Steve  ! '  I  said  sharply. 

In  a  twinkling  he  flung  over  the  general's  head  a  small 
sack  doubled  inwards.  We  heard  a  stifled  oath  and  a  cry 
of  rage.  The  bars  of  the  strong  chair  creaked  as  our  pris- 
oner struggled,  and  for  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  the  knots 
would  barely  hold.  But  the  work  had  been  well  done,  and 
in  less  than  half  a  minute  Steve  had  secured  the  sack  to 
the  chair-back.  It  was  as  good  as  a  gag,  and  safer.  Then 
we  took  up  the  chair  between  us,  and  lifting  it  into  the 
back  room,  put  it  down  and  locked  the  door  upon  our 
captive. 

As  we  turned  from  it  Steve  looked  at  me.  '  If  he  catches 
us  after  this,  Master  Martin,'  he  said,  '  it  won't  be  an  easy 
death  we  shall  die  ! ' 

<  Heaven  forbid  ! '  I  muttered.     '  Let  us  be  off  ! ' 

He  gave  the  word  and  we  stole  out  into  the  darkness  at 
the  back  of  the  house,  Steve,  who  had  surveyed  the  ground, 
going  first.  My  lady  followed  him ;  then  came  the  Wald- 
grave ;  after  him  the  two  women  and  Fraulein  Max,  with 
Jacob  and  Ernst ;  last  of  all,  Marie  and  I.  It  was  no  time 
for  love-making,  but  as  we  all  stood  a  minute  in  the  night, 
while  Steve  listened,  I  drew  Marie's  little  figure  to  me  and 
kissed  her  pale  face  again  and  again ;  and  she  clung  to  me, 


244  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

trembling,  her  eyes  shining  into  mine.  Then  she  put  me 
away  bravely  ;  but  I  took  her  bundle,  and  with  full  hearts 
we  followed  the  others  across  the  field  at  the  back  and 
through  the  ditch. 

That  passed,  we  found  ourselves  on  the  edge  of  the 
village,  with  the  lights  of  the  camp  forming  five-sixths  of 
a  circle  round  us.  In  one  direction  only,  where  the  swamp 
and  creek  fringed  the  place,  a  dark  gap  broke  the  ring  of 
twinkling  fires.  Towards  this  gap  Steve  led  the  way,  and 
we,  a  silent  line  of  gliding  figures,  followed  him.  The 
moon  had  not  yet  risen.  The  gloom  was  such  that  I  could 
barely  make  out  the  third  figure  before  me ;  and  though  all 
manner  of  noises  —  the  chorus  of  a  song,  the  voice  of  a 
scolding  hag,  even  the  rattle  of  dice  on  a  drumhead  —  came 
clearly  to  my  ears,  and  we  seemed  to  be  enclosed  on  all 
sides,  the  darkness  proved  an  effectual  shield.  We  met  no 
one,  and  five  minutes  after  leaving  the  house,  reached  the 
bank  of  the  little  creek  I  have  mentioned. 

Here  we  paused  and  waited,  a  group  of  huddled  figures, 
while  Steve  groped  about  for  a  plank  he  had  hidden. 
Before  us  lay  the  stream,  behind  us  the  camp.  At  any 
moment  the  alarm  might  be  raised.  I  pictured  the  outcry, 
the  sudden  flickering  of  lights,  the  galloping  this  way  and 
that,  the  discovery.  And  then,  thank  Heaven!  Steve 
found  his  plank,  and  in  the  work  of  passing  the  women 
over  I  forgot  my  fears.  The  darkness,  the  peril  —  for  the 
water  on  the  nearer  side  was  deep  —  the  nervous  haste  of 
some,  and  the  terror  of  others,  made  the  task  no  easy  one. 
I  was  hot  as  fire  and  wet  to  the  waist  before  it  was  over, 
and  we  all  stood  ankle-deep  in  the  ooze  which  formed  the 
farther  bank. 

Alas !  our  troubles  were  only  beginning.  Through  this 
ooze  we  had  to  wade  for  a  mile  or  more,  sometimes  in 
doubt,  always  in  darkness ;  now  plashing  into  pools,  now 
stumbling  over  a  submerged  log,  often  up  to  our  knees  in 
mud  and  water.  The  frogs  croaked  round  us,  the  bog 
moaned  and  gurgled;  in  the  depth  of  the  marsh  the  bit- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  245 

terns  boomed  mournfully.  If  we  stood  a  moment  we  sank. 
It  was  a  horrible  time ;  and  the  more  horrible,  as  through 
it  all  we  had  only  to  turn  to  see  the  camp  lights  behind  us", 
a  poor  half-mile  or  so  away. 

None  but  desperate  men  could  have  exposed  women  to 
such  a  labour;  nor  could  any  but  women  without  hope  and 
at  their  wit's  end  have  accomplished  it.  As  it  was,  Frau- 
lein  Max,  who  never  ceased  to  whimper,  twice  sank  down 
and  would  go  no  farther,  and  we  had  to  pluck  her  up  roughly 
and  force  her  on.  My  lady's  women,  who  wept  in  their 
misery,  were  little  better.  Wet  to  the  waist,  draggled,  and 
worn  out  by  the  clinging  slime  and  the  reek  of  the  marsh, 
they  were  kept  moving  only  with  difficulty;  so  that,  but 
for  Steve's  giant  strength  and  my  lady's  courage,  I  think 
we  should  have  stayed  there  till  daylight,  and  been  caught 
like  birds  limed  on  a  bough. 

As  it  was,  we  plunged  and  strove  for  more  than  an  hour 
in  that  place,  the  dark  sky  above  us,  the  quaking  bog  below, 
the  women's  weeping  in  our  ears.  Then,  at  last,  when  I 
had  almost  given  up  hope,  we  struggled  out  one  by  one 
upon  the  road,  and  stood  panting  and  shaking,  astonished 
to  find  solid  ground  under  our  feet.  We  had  still  two 
miles  to  walk,  but  on  dry  soil ;  and  though  at  another  time 
the  task  might  have  seemed  to  the  women  full  of  adven- 
ture and  arduous,  it  failed  to  frighten  them  after  what  we 
had  gone  through.  Steve  took  Fraulein  Anna,  and  I  one 
of  the  women.  My  lady  and  the  Waldgrave  went  hand  in 
hand ;  the  one  giving,  I  fancy,  as  much  help  as  the  other. 
For  Marie,  her  small,  white  face  was  a  beacon  of  hope  in 
the  darkness.  In  the  marsh  she  had  never  failed  or  fainted. 
On  the  road  the  tears  came  into  my  eyes  for  pity  and  love 
and  admiration. 

At  length  Steve  bade  us  stand,  and  leaving  us  in  the 
way,  plunged  into  the  denser  blackness  of  a  thicket,  which 
lay  between  it  and  the  river.  I  heard  him  parting  the 
branches  before  him,  and  stumbling  and  swearing,  until 
presently  the  sounds  died  away  in  the  distance,  and  we 


246  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

remained  shivering  and  waiting.  What  if  the  horses  were 
gone  ?  What  if  they  had  strayed  from  the  place  where  he 
had  tethered  them  early  in  the  day,  or  some  one  had  found 
and  removed  them  ?  The  thought  threw  me  into  a  cold 
sweat. 

Then  I  heard  him  coming  back,  and  I  caught  the  ring 
of  iron  hoofs.  He  had  them  !  I  breathed  again.  In  a 
moment  he  emerged,  and  behind  him  a  string  of  shadows 
— five  horses  tied  head  and  tail. 

'  Quick  ! '  he  muttered.  He  had  been  long  enough  alone 
to  grow  nervous.  'We  are  two  hours  gone,  and  if  they 
have  not  yet  discovered  him  they  must  soon  !  It  is  a  short 
start,  and  half  of  us  on  foot ! ' 

No  one  answered,  but  in  a  moment  we  had  the  Wald- 
grave,  my  lady,  Fraulein,  and  one  of  the  women  mounted. 
Then  we  put  up  Marie,  who  was  no  heavier  than  a  feather, 
and  the  lighter  of  the  women  on  the  remaining  horse;  and 
Steve  hurrying  beside  the  leader,  and  I,  Ernst,  and  Jacob 
bringing  up  the  rear,  we  were  well  on  the  road  within  two 
minutes  of  the  appearance  of  the  horses.  Those  who  rode 
had  only  sacking  for  saddles  and  loops  of  rope  for  stirrups ; 
but  no  one  complained.  Even  Fraulein  Max  began  to 
recover  herself,  and  to  dwell  more  upon  the  peril  of  cap- 
ture than  on  aching  legs  and  chafed  knees. 

The  road  was  good,  and  we  made,  as  far  as  I  could  judge, 
about  six  miles  in  the  first  hour.  This  placed  us  nine  miles 
from  the  camp ;  the  time,  a  little  after  midnight.  At  this 
point  the  clouds,  which  had  aided  us  so  far  by  increasing 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  fell  in  a  great  storm  of  rain,  that, 
hissing  on  the  road  and  among  the  trees,  in  a  few  minutes 
drenched  us  to  the  skin.  But  no  one  complained.  Steve 
muttered  that  it  would  make  it  the  more  difficult  to  track 
us ;  and  for  another  hour  we  plodded  on  gallantly.  Then 
our  leader  called  a  halt,  and  we  stood  listening. 

The  rain  had  left  the  sky  lighter.  A  waning  moon, 
floating  in  a  wrack  of  watery  clouds  to  westward,  shed  a 
faint  gleam  on  the  landscape.  To  the  right  of  us  it  dis- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  247 

closed  a  bare  plain,  rising  gradually  as  it  receded,  and 
offering  no  cover.  On  our  left,  between  us  and  the  river, 
it  was  different.  Here  a  wilderness  of  osiers — a  grey 
willow  swamp  that  in  the  moonlight  shimmered  like  the 
best  Utrecht  —  stretched  as  far  as  we  could  see.  The  road 
where  we  stood  rose  a  few  feet  above  it,  so  that  our  eyes 
were  on  a  level  with  the  highest  shoots ;  but  a  hundred 
yards  farther  on  the  road  sank  a  little.  We  could  see  the 
water  standing  on  the  track  in  pools,  and  glimmering 
palely. 

'This  is  the  place,'  Steve  muttered.  'It  will  be  dawn  in 
another  hour.  What  do  you  think,  Master  Martin  ?  ' 

'  That  we  had  better  get  off  the  road,'  I  answered.  'Take 
it  they  found  him  at  midnight;  the  orderly's  patience 
would  scarcely  last  longer.  Then,  if  they  started  after  us 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  later,  they  should  be  here  in  another 
twenty  minutes.' 

'  It  is  an  aguey  place,'  he  said  doubtfully. 

'  It  will  suit  us  better  than  the  camp,'  I  answered. 

No  one  else  expressed  an  opinion,  and  Steve,  taking  my 
lady's  rein,  led  her  horse  on  until  he  came  to  the  hollow 
part  of  the  road.  Here  the  moonlight  disclosed  a  kind 
of  water-lane,  running  away  between  the  osiers,  at  right 
angles  from  the  road.  Steve  turned  into  it,  leading  my 
lady's  horse,  and  in  a  moment  was  wading  a  foot  deep  in 
water.  The  Waldgrave  followed,  then  the  women.  I  came 
last,  with  Marie's  rein  in  my  hand.  We  kept  down  the 
lane  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  paces,  the  horses  snort- 
ing and  moving  unwillingly,  and  the  water  growing  ever 
deeper.  Then  Steve  turned  out  of  it,  and  began  to  ad- 
vance, but  more  cautiously,  pai-allel  with  the  road. 

We  had  waded  about  as  far  in  this  direction,  sidling 
between  the  stumps  and  stools  as  well  as  we  could,  when  he 
came  again  to  a  stand  and  passed  back  the  word  for  me.  I 
waded  on,  and  joined  him.  The  osiers,  which  were  inter- 
spersed here  and  there  with  great  willows,  rose  above  our 
heads  and  shut  out  the  moonlight.  The  water  gurgled 


248  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

black  about  our  knees.  Each  step  might  lead  us  into  a 
hole,  or  we  might  trip  over  the  roots  of  the  osiers.  It  was 
impossible  to  see  a  foot  before  us,  or  anything  above  us 
save  the  still,  black  rods  and  the  grey  sky. 

'  It  should  be  in  this  direction,'  Steve  said,  with  an  accent 
of  doubt.  'But  I  cannot  see.  We  shall  have  the  horses 
down.' 

'  Let  me  go  first,'  I  said. 

'  We  must  not  separate/  he  answered  hastily. 

'No,  no/  I  said,  my  teeth  beginning  to  chatter.  'But 
are  you  sure  that  there  is  an  eyot  here  ? ' 

'I  did  not  go  to  it/  he  answered,  scratching  his  head. 
*  But  I  saw  a  clump  of  willows  rising  well  above  the  level, 
and  they  looked  to  me  as  if  they  grew  on  dry  land.' 

He  stood  a  moment  irresolutely,  first  one  and  then  an- 
other of  the  horses  shaking  itself  till  the  women  could 
scarcely  keep  their  seats. 

'  Why  do  we  not  go  on  ? '  my  lady  asked  in  a  low  voice. 

'Because  Steve  is  not  sure  of  the  place,  my  lady/  I  said. 
'And  it  is  almost  impossible  to  move,  it  is  so  dark,  and 
the  osiers  grow  so  closely.  I  doubt  we  should  have 
waited  until  daylight.' 

'  Then  we  should  have  run  the  risk  of  being  intercepted/ 
she  answered  feverishly.  '  Are  you  very  wet  ? ' 

'  No/  I  said,  though  my  feet  were  growing  numb,  '  not 
very.  I  see  what  we  must  do.  One  of  us  must  climb  into 
a  willow  and  look  out.' 

We  had  passed  a  small  one  not  long  before.  I  plashed 
my  way  back  to  it,  along  the  line  of  shivering  women,  and, 
pulling  myself  heavily  into  the  branches,  managed  to 
scramble  up  a  few  feet.  The  tree  swayed  under  my 
weight,  but  it  bore  me. 

The  first  dawn  was  whitening  the  sky  and  casting  a  faint, 
reflected  light  on  the  glistening  sea  of  osiers,  that  seemed 
to  my  eyes  —  for  I  was  not  high  enough  to  look  beyond  it 
—  to  stretch  far  and  away  on  every  side.  Here  and  there 
a  large  willow,  rising  in  a  round,  dark  clump,  stood  out 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  249 

above  the  level;  and  in  one  place,  about  a  hundred  paces 
away  on  the  riverside  of  us,  a  group  of  these  formed 
a  shadowy  mound.  I  marked  the  spot,  and  dropped  gently 
into  the  water. 

'  I  have  found  it,'  I  said.  '  I  will  go  first,  and  do  you 
bring  my  lady,  Steve.  And  mind  the  stumps.  It  will  be 
rough  work.' 

It  was  rough  work.  We  had  to  wind  in  and  out,  leading 
and  coaxing  the  frightened  horses,  that  again  and  again 
stumbled  to  their  knees.  Every  minute  I  feared  that  we 
should  find  the  way  impassable  or  meet  with  a  mishap. 
But  in  time,  going  very  patiently,  we  made  out  the  willows 
in  front  of  us.  Then  the  water  grew  more  shallow,  and 
this  gave  the  animals  courage.  Twenty  steps  farther,  and 
we  passed  into  the  shadow  of  the  trees.  A  last  struggle, 
and,  plunging  one  by  one  up  the  muddy  bank,  we  stood 
panting  on  the  eyot. 

It  was  such  a  place  as  only  despair  could  choose  for  a 
refuge.  In  shape  like  the  back  of  some  large  submerged 
beast,  it  lay  in  length  about  forty  paces,  in  breadth  half  as 
many.  The  highest  point  was  a  poor  foot  above  the  water. 
Seven  great  willows  took  up  half  the  space ;  it  was  as 
much  as  our  horses,  sinking  in  the  moist  mud  to  the  fetlock, 
could  do  to  find  standing-room  on  the  remainder.  Coarse 
grass  and  reeds  covered  it ;  and  the  flotsam  of  the  last  flood 
whitened  the  trunks  of  the  willows,  and  hung  in  squalid 
wisps  from  their  lower  branches. 

For  the  first  time  we  saw  one  another's  faces,  and  how 
pale  and  woe-begone,  mudstained  and  draggled  we  were ! 
The  cold,  grey  light,  which  so  mercilessly  unmasked  our 
refuge,  did  not  spare  us.  It  helped  even  my  lady  to  look 
her  worst.  Fraulein  Anna  sat  a  mere  lifeless  lump  in  her 
saddle.  The  waiting-women  cried  softly;  they  had  cried 
all  night.  The  Waldgrave  looked  dazed,  as  if  he  barely 
understood  where  he  was  or  why  he  was  there. 

To  think  over-much  in  such  a  place  was  to  weep.  Instead, 
I  hastened  to  get  them  all  off  their  horses,  and  with  Steve's 


250  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

help  and  a  great  bundle  of  osiers  and  branches  which  we 
cut,  I  made  nests  for  them  in  the  lower  boughs  of  the 
willows,  well  out  of  reach  of  the  water.  When  they  had 
all  taken  their  places,  I  served  out  food  and  a  dram  of 
Dantzic  waters,  which  some  of  us  needed ;  for  a  white  mist, 
drawn  up  from  the  swamp  by  the  rising  sun,  began  to 
enshroud  us,  and,  hanging  among  the  osiers  for  more  than 
an  hour,  prolonged  the  misery  of  the  night. 

Still,  even  that  rolled  away  at  last  —  about  six  o'clock  — 
and  let  us  see  the  sun  shining  overhead  in  a  heaven  of  blue 
distance  and  golden  clouds.  Larks  rose  up  and  sang,  and 
all  the  birds  of  the  marsh  began  to  twitter  and  tweet.  In  a 
trice  our  mud  island  was  changed  to  a  bower  —  a  place  of 
warmth  and  life  and  refreshment  —  where  light  and  shade 
lay  on  the  dappled  floor,  and  the  sunshine  fell  through 
green  leaves. 

Then  I  took  the  cloaks,  and  the  saddles,  and  everything 
that  was  wet,  and  spread  them  out  on  branches  to  dry ;  and 
leaving  the  women  to  make  themselves  comfortable  in  their 
own  way  and  shift  themselves  as  they  pleased,  we  two,  with 
the  Waldgrave  and  the  two  servants,  went  away  to  the 
other  end  of  the  eyot. 

'  I  shall  sleep,'  Steve  said  drowsily. 

The  insects  were  beginning  to  hum.     The  horses  stood 
^huddled  together,  swishing  their  long  tails. 

'You  think  they  won't  track  us?'  I  asked. 

'  Certain,'  he  said.  '  There  are  six  hundred  yards  of  mud 
and  water,  eel-holes,  and  willow  shoots  between  us  and  the 
road.' 

The  Waldgrave  assented  mechanically ;  it  seemed  so  to 
me  too.  And  by-and-by,  worn  out  with  the  night's  work, 
I  fell  asleep,  and  slept,  I  suppose,  for  a  good  many  hours, 
with  the  sun  and  shade  passing  slowly  across  my  face,  and 
the  bees  droning  in  my  ears,  and  the  mellow  warmth  of  the 
summer  day  soaking  into  my  bones.  When  I  awoke  I  lay 
for  a  time  revelling  in  lazy  enjoyment.  The  oily  plop  of  a 
water-rat,  as  it  dived  from  a  stump,  or  the  scream  of  a  dis- 


We  were  alone.     ...     I  whispered  in  her  ear    .     .     . 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  251 

tant  jay,  alone  broke  the  laden  silence.  I  looked  at  the 
sun.  It  lay  south-west.  It  was  three  o'clock  then. 

A  light  touch  fell  on  my  knee.  I  started,  looked  down, 
and  for  a  moment  stared  in  sleepy  wonder.  A  tiny  bunch  of 
blue  flowers,  such  as  I  could  see  growing  in  a  dozen  places 
on  the  edge  of  the  island,  lay  on  it,  tied  up  with  a  thread  of 
purple  silk.  I  started  up  on  my  elbow,  and  —  there,  close 
beside  me,  with  her  cheeks  full  of  colour,  and  the  sunshine 
finding  golden  threads  in  her  dark  hair,  sat  Marie,  toying 
with  more  flowers. 

'Ha ! '  I  said  foolishly.     *  What  is  it  ?  ' 

<  My  lady  sent  me  to  you/  she  answered. 

<  Yes,'  I  asked  eagerly.     '  Does  she  want  me  ?  ' 

But  Marie  hung  her  head,  and  played  with  the  flowers. 
'I  don't  think  so,'  she  whispered.  'She  only  sent  me  to 
you.' 

Then  I  understood.  The  Waldgrave  had  gone  to  the 
farther  end.  Steve  and  the  men  were  tending  the  horses 
half  a  dozen  paces  beyond  the  screen  of  willow-leaves.  We 
were  alone.  A  rat  plashed  into  the  water,  and  drove  Marie 
nearer  to  me  ;  and  she  laid  her  head  on  my  shoulder,  and  I 
whispered  in  her  ear,  till  the  lashes  sank  down  over  her 
eyes  and  her  lips  trembled.  If  I  had  loved  her  from  the 
first,  what  was  the  length  and  height  and  breadth  of  my 
love  now,  when  I  had  seen  her  in  darkness  and  peril,  sun- 
shine and  storm,  strong  when  others  failed,  brave  when 
others  flinched,  always  helpful,  ready,  tireless !  And  she 
so  small !  So  frail,  I  almost  feared  to  press  her  to  me ;  so 
pale,  the  blood  that  leapt  to  her  cheeks  at  my  touch  seemed 
a  mere  reflection  of  the  sunlight. 

I  told  her  how  Steve  had  made  the  guards  at  the  prison 
drunk  with  wine  bought  with  her  dowry ;  how  the  horses 
he  had  purchased  and  taken  out  of  the  camp  by  twos  and 
threes  had  been  paid  for  from  the  same  source ;  and  how 
many  ducats  had  gone  for  meats  and  messes  to  keep  the 
life,  that  still  ran  sluggishly,  in  the  Waldgrave's  veins. 
She  listened  and  lay  still. 


252  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

( So  you  have  no  dowry  now,  little  one,'  I  said,  when  I 
had  told  her  all.  '  And  your  gold  chain  is  gone.  I  believe 
you  have  nothing  but  the  frock  you  stand  up  in.  Why, 
then,  should  I  marry  you  ?  ' 

I  felt  her  heart  give  a  great  leap  under  my  hand,  and  a. 
shiver  ran  through  her.  But  she  did  not  raise  her  head, 
and  I,  who  had  thought  to  tease  her  into  looking  at  me,  had 
to  put  back  her  little  face  till  it  gazed  into  mine. 

'  Why  ? '  I  said ;  '  why  ? '  —  drawing  her  closer  and 
closer  to  me. 

Then  the  colour  came  into  her  face  like  the  sunlight 
itself.  '  Because  you  love  me,'  she  whispered,  shutting  her 
eyes. 

And  I  did  not  gainsay  her. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MISSING  ! 

WE  lay  in  the  osier  bed  two  whole  days  and  a  night,  during 
which  time  two  at  least  of  us  were  not  unhappy,  in  spite  of 
peril  and  hardship.  We  left  it  at  last,  only  because  our 
meagre  provision  gave  out,  and  we  must  move  or  starve.  We 
felt  far  from  sure  that  the  danger  was  over,  for  Steve, 
who  spent  the  second  day  in  a  thick  bush  near  the  road,  saw 
two  troops  of  horse  go  by  ;  and  others,  we  believed,  passed 
in  the  night.  But  we  had  no  choice.  The  neighbourhood 
was  bleak  and  bare.  Such  small  homesteads  as  existed 
had  been  eaten  up,  and  lay  abandoned.  If  we  had  felt 
inclined  to  venture  out  for  food,  none  was  to  be  had.  And, 
in  fine,  though  we  trembled  at  the  thought  of  the  open 
road,  and  my  heart  for  one  grew  sick  as  I  looked  from 
Marie  to  my  lady,  and  reckoned  the  long  tale  of  leagues 
which  lay  between  us  and  Cassel,  the  risk  had  to  be  run. 
Steve  had  discovered  a  more  easy  though  longer  way  out 
of  the  willow-bed,  and  two  hours  before  midnight  on  the 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  253 

second  night,  he  and  I  mounted  the  women  and  prepared 
to  set  out.  He  arranged  that  we  should  go  in  the  same  order 
in  which  we  had  come :  that  he  should  lead  the  march,  and 
I  bring  up  the  rear,  while  the  Waldgrave,  who  was  still 
far  from  well,  and  whose  continued  lack  of  vigour  troubled 
us  the  more  as  we  said  little  about  it,  should  ride  with  my 
lady. 

The  night  seemed  likely  to  be  fine,  but  the  darkness, 
the  sough  of  the  wind  as  it  swept  over  the  plain,  and  the 
melancholy  plashing  of  the  water  as  our  horses  plodded 
through  it,  were  not  things  of  a  kind  to  allay  our  fears. 
When  we  at  last  left  our  covert,  and  reaching  the  road 
stood  to  listen,  the  fall  of  a  leaf  made  us  start.  Though 
no  sounds  but  those  of  the  night  came  to  our  ears  —  and 
some  of  these  were  of  a  kind  to  reassure  us  —  we  said 
'  Hush ! '  again  and  again,  and  only  moved  on  after  a 
hundred  alarums  and  assurances. 

I  walked  by  Marie,  with  my  hand  on  the  withers  of  her 
horse,  but  we  did  not  talk.  The  two  waiting-women  riding 
double  were  before  us,  and  their  muttered  fears  alone 
broke  the  silence  which  prevailed  at  the  end  of  the  train. 
We  went  at  the  rate  of  about  two  leagues  an  hour,  Steve 
and  I  and  the  men  running  where  the  roads  were  good, 
and  everywhere  and  at  all  times  urging  the  horses  to  do 
their  best.  The  haste  of  our  movements,  the  darkness, 
our  constant  alarm,  and  the  occasional  confusion  when  the 
rear  pressed  on  the  van  at  an  awkward  place,  had  the  effect 
of  upsetting  the  balance  of  our  minds ;  so  that  the  most 
common  impulse  of  flight  —  to  press  forward  with  ever- 
increasing  recklessness  —  began  presently  to  possess  us. 
Once  or  twice  I  had  to  check  the  foremost,  or  they  would 
have  outrun  the  rear ;  and  this  kind  of  race  brought 
us  gradually  into  such  a  state  of  alarm,  that  by-and-by, 
when  the  line  came  to  a  sudden  stop  on  the  brow  of  a 
gentle  descent,  I  could  hardly  restrain  my  impatience. 

'  What  is  it  ?  '  I  asked  eagerly.  <  Why  are  we  stopping  ?  ' 
Surely  the  road  is  good  enough  here.' 


254  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

No  one  answered,  but  it  was  significant  that  on  the 
instant  one  of  the  women  began  to  cry. 

'  Stop  that  folly  ! '  I  said.  <  What  is  in  front  there  ? 
Cannot  some  one  speak  ?  ' 

'  The  Waldgrave  thinks  that  he  hears  horsemen  before 
us,'  Fraulein  Max  answered. 

In  another  moment  the  Waldgrave's  figure  loomed  out 
of  the  darkness.  '  Martin/  he  said  —  I  noticed  that  his 
voice  shook  —  '  go  forward.  They  are  in  front.  Man 
alive,  be  quick ! '  he  continued  fiercely.  '  Do  you  want  to 
have  them  into  us  ? ' 

I  left  my  girl's  rein,  and  pushing  past  the  women  and 
Fraulein,  joined  Steve,  who  was  standing  by  my  lady's  rein. 
'  What  is  it  ?  '  I  said. 

'  Nothing,  I  think,'  he  answered  in  an  uncertain  tone. 

I  stood  a  moment  listening,  but  I  too  could  hear  nothing. 
I  began  to  argue  with  him.  '  Who  heard  it  ? '  I  asked 
impatiently. 

'The  Waldgrave,''  he  answered. 

I  did  not  like  to  say  before  my  lady  what  I  thought  — 
that  the  Waldgrave  was  not  quite  himself,  nor  to  be  de- 
pended upon ;  and  instead  I  proposed  to  go  forward  on  foot 
and  learn  if  anything  was  amiss.  The  road  ran  straight 
down  the  hill,  and  the  party  could  scarcely  pass  me,  even 
in  the  gloom.  If  I  found  all  well,  I  would  whistle,  and 
they  could  come  on. 

My  lady  agreed,  and,  leaving  them  halted,  I  started  cau- 
tiously down  the  hill.  The  darkness  was  not  extreme  ; 
the  cloud  drift  was  broken  here  and  there,  and  showed 
light  patches  of  sky  between ;  I  could  make  out  the  shapes 
of  things,  and  more  than  once  took  a  clump  of  bushes  for  a 
lurking  ambush.  But  halfway  down,  a  line  of  poplars 
began  to  shadow  the  road  on  our  side,  and  from  that 
point  I  might  have  walked  into  a  regiment  and  never  seen 
a  man.  This,  the  being  suddenly  alone,  and  the  con- 
stant rustling  of  the  leaves  overhead,  which  moved  with 
the  slightest  air,  shook  my  nerves,  and  I  went  very  warily, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  255 

with  my  heart  in  my  mouth  and  a  cry  trembling  on  my 
lips. 

Still  I  had  reached  the  hillfoot  before  anything  hap- 
pened. Then  I  stopped  abruptly,  hearing  quite  distinctly 
in  front  of  me  the  sound  of  footsteps.  It  was  impossible 
that  this  could  be  the  sound  that  the  Waldgrave  had  heard, 
for  only  one  man  seemed  to  be  stirring,  and  he  moved 
stealthily ;  but  I  crouched  down  and  listened,  and  in  a 
moment  I  was  rewarded.  A  dark  figure  came  out  of  the 
densest  of  the  shadow  and  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 
I  sank  lower,  noiselessly.  The  man  seemed  to  be  listening. 

It  flashed  into  my  head  that  he  was  a  sentry ;  and  I 
thought  how  fortunate  it  was  that  I  had  come  on  alone. 

Presently  he  moved  again.  He  stole  along  the  track 
towards  me,  stooping,  as  I  fancied,  and  more  than  once 
standing  to  listen,  as  if  he  were  not  satisfied.  I  sank  down 
still  lower,  and  he  passed  me  without  notice,  and  went  on, 
and  I  heard  his  footsteps  slowly  retreating  until  they 
quite  died  away. 

But  in  a  moment,  before  I  had  risen  to  my  full  height, 
I  heard  them  again.  He  came  back,  and  passed  me, 
breathing  quickly  and  loudly.  I  wondered  if  he  had 
detected  our  party  and  was  going  to  give  the  alarm ;  and 
I  stood  up,  anxious  and  uncertain,  at  a  loss  whether  I 
should  follow  him  or  run  back. 

At  that  instant  a  fierce  yell  broke  the  silence,  and  rent 
the  darkness  as  a  flash  of  lightning  might  rend  it.  It  came 
from  behind  me,  from  the  brow  of  the  hill ;  and  I  started 
as  if  I  had  been  struck.  Hard  on  it  a  volley  of  shouts  and 
screams  flared  up  in  the  same  direction,  and  while  my 
heart  stood  still  with  terror  and  fear  of  what  had  hap- 
pened, I  heard  the  thunder  of  hoofs  come  down  the  road, 
with  a  clatter  of  blows  and  whips.  They  were  coming 
headlong  —  ray  lady  and  the  rest.  The  danger  was  behind 
them,  then.  I  had  just  time  to  turn  and  get  to  the  side 
of  the  road  before  they  were  on  me  at  a  gallop. 

I  could  not  see  who   was   who  in  the  darkness,  but  1 


256  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

caught  at  the  nearest  stirrup,  and,  narrowly  escaping  being 
ridden  down,  ran  on  beside  the  rider.  The  horses,  spurred 
down  the  slope,  had  gained  such  an  impetus  that  it  was  all 
I  could  do  to  keep  up.  I  had  no  breath  to  ask  questions, 
nor  state  my  fear  that  there  was  danger  ahead  also.  I  had 
to  stride  like  a  giant  to  keep  my  legs  and  run. 

Some  one  else  was  less  lucky.  We  had  not  swept  fifty 
yards  from  where  I  joined  them,  when  a  dark  figure 
showed  for  a  moment  in  the  road  before  us.  I  saw  it; 
it  seemed  to  hang  and  hesitate.  The  next  instant  it  was 
among  us.  I  heard  a  shrill  scream,  a  heavy  fall,  and  we 
were  over  it,  and  charging  on  and  on  and  on  through  the 
darkness. 

To  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  across  the  bottom,  and  up  the 
opposite  slope.  I  do  not  know  how  far  we  had  sped,  when 
Steve's  voice  was  heard,  calling  on  us  to  halt. 

'  Pull  up  !  pull  up  ! '  he  cried,  with  an  angry  oath.  '  It 
is  a  false  alarm !  What  fool  set  it  going  ?  There  is  no 
one  behind  us.  Donner  und  Blitzen !  where  is  Martin  ? ' 

The  horses  were  beginning  to  flag,  and  gladly  came  to 
a  trot,  and  then  to  a  walk. 

'  Here  !  I  panted. 

'  Himmel !  I  thought  we  had  ridden  you  down  ! '  he 
said,  leaving  my  lady's  side.  His  voice  shook  with  passion 
and  loss  of  breath.  '  Who  was  it  ?  We  might  all  have 
broken  our  necks,  and  for  nothing ! ' 

The  Waldgrave  —  it  was  his  stirrup  I  had  caught  — 
turned  his  horse  round.  '  I  heard  them  —  close  behind 
us ! '  he  panted.  There  was  a  note  of  wildness  in  his  voice. 
My  elbow  was  against  his  knee,  and  I  felt  him  tremble. 

'  A  bird  in  the  hedge/  Steve  said  rudely.  '  It  has  cost 
some  one  dear.  Whose  horse  was  it  struck  him  ?  ' 

No  one  answered.  I  left  the  Waldgrave's  side  and  went 
back  a  few  paces.  The  women  were  sobbing.  Ernst  and 
Jacob  stood  by  them,  breathing  hard  after  their  run.  I 
thought  the  men's  silence  strange.  I  looked  again.  There 
was  a  figure  missing  ;  a  horse  missing. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  257 

4  Where  is  Marie  ? '  I  cried. 

She  did  not  answer.  No  one  answered;  and  I  knew. 
Steve  swore  again.  I  think  he  had  known  from  the 
beginning.  I  began  to  tremble.  On  a  sudden  my  lady 
lifted  up  her  voice  and  cried  shrilly  — 

'  Marie !  Marie  ! ' 

Again  no  answer.  But  this  time  I  did  not  wait  to  listen. 
I  ran  from  them  into  the  darkness  the  way  we  had  come, 
my  legs  quivering  under  me,  and  my  mouth  full  of  broken 
prayers.  I  remembered  a  certain  solitary  tree  fronting  the 
poplars,  on  the  other  side  of  the  way,  which  I  had  marked 
mechanically  at  the  moment  of  the  fall — an  ash,  whose 
light  upper  boughs  had  come  for  an  instant  between  my 
eyes  and  the  sky.  It  stood  on  a  little  mound,  where  the 
moorland  began  to  rise  on  that  side.  I  came  to  it  now,  and 
stopped  and  looked.  At  first  I  could  see  nothing,  and  I 
trod  forward  fearfully.  Then,  a  couple  of  paces  on,  I  made 
out  a  dark  figure,  lying  head  and  feet  across  the  road.  I 
sprang  to  it,  and  kneeling,  passed  my  hands  over  it.  Alas ! 
it  was  a  woman's. 

I  raised  the  light  form  in  my  arms,  crying  passionately  on 
her  name,  while  the  wind  swayed  the  boughs  overhead,  and, 
besides  that  and  my  voice,  all  the  countryside  was  still.  She 
did  not  answer.  She  hung  limp  in  my  arms.  Kneeling  in 
the  dust  beside  her,  I  felt  blindly  for  a  pulse,  a  heart-beat. 
I  found  neither  —  neither ;  the  woman  was  dead. 

And  yet  it  was  not  that  which  made  me  lay  the  body 
down  so  quickly  and  stand  up  peering  round  me.  No; 
something  else.  The  blood  drummed  in  my  ears,  my  heart 
beat  wildly.  The  woman  was  dead;  but  she  was  not 
Marie. 

She  was  an  old  woman,  sixty  years  old.  When  I  stooped 
again,  after  assuring  myself  that  there  was  no  other  body 
near,  and  peered  into  her  face,  I  saw  that  it  was  seamed 
and  wrinkled.  She  was  barefoot,  and  her  clothes  were 
foul  and  mean.  She  had  the  reek  of  one  who  slept  in 
ditches  and  washed  seldom.  Her  toothless  gums  grinned 

17 


258  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

at  me.  She  was  a  horrible  mockery  of  all  that  men  love 
in  women. 

When  I  had  marked  so  much,  I  stood  up  again,  my  head 
reeling.  Where  was  the  man  I  had  seen  scouting  up  and 
down  ?  Where  was  Marie  ?  For  a  moment  the  wild  idea 
that  she  had  become  this  thing,  that  death  or  magic  had 
transformed  the  fair  young  girl  into  this  toothless  hag,  was 
not  too  wild  for  me.  An  owl  hooted  in  the  distance,  and  I 
started  and  shivered  and  stood  looking  round  me  fearfully. 
Such  things  were ;  and  Marie  was  gone.  In  her  place  this 
woman,  grim  and  dead  and  unsightly,  lay  at  my  feet.  What 
was  I  to  think  ? 

I  got  no  answer.  I  raised  my  voice  and  called,  trembling, 
on  Marie.  I  ran  to  one  side  of  the  road  and  the  other  and 
called,  and  still  got  no  answer.  I  climbed  the  mound  on 
which  the  ash-tree  stood,  and  sent  my  voice  thrilling 
through  the  darkness  of  the  bottom.  But  only  the  owl 
answered.  Then,  knowing  nothing  else  I  could  do,  I  went 
down  wringing  my  hands,  and  found  my  lady  standing  over 
the  body  in  the  road.  She  had  come  back  with  Steve  and 
the  others. 

I  had  to  listen  to  their  amazement,  and  a  hundred  guesses 
and  fancies,  which,  God  help  me  !  had  nothing  certain  in 
them,  and  gave  me  no  help.  The  men  searched  both  sides 
of  the  road,  and  beat  the  moor  for  a  distance,  and  tried  to 
track  the  horse  —  for  that  was  missing  too,  and  there  lay 
my  only  hope  —  but  to  no  purpose.  At  last  my  lady  came 
to  me  and  said  sorrowfully  that  nothing  more  could  be  done. 

'  In  the  morning ! '  I  cried  jealously. 

No  one  spoke,  and  I  looked  from  one  to  another.  The 
men  had  returned  from  the  search,  and  stood  in  a  dark 
group  round  the  body,  which  they  had  drawn  to  the  side  of 
the  road.  It  wanted  an  hour  of  daylight  yet,  and  I  could 
not  see  their  faces,  but  I  read  in  their  silence  the  answer 
that  no  one  liked  to  put  into  words. 

'  Be  a  man  ! '  Steve  muttered,  after  a  long  pause.  '  God 
help  the  girl.  But  God  help  us  too  if  we  are  found  here ! ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  259 

Still  my  lady  did  not  speak,  and  I  knew  her  brave  heart 
too  well  to  doubt  her,  though  she  had  been  the  first  to  talk 
of  going.  '  Get  to  horse,'  I  said  roughly. 

'  No,  no,'  my  lady  cried  at  last.  *  We  will  all  stay, 
Martin.' 

'  Ay,  all  stay  or  all  go ! '  Steve  muttered. 

'Then  all  go! '  I  said,  choking  down  the  sobs  that  would 
rise.  And  I  turned  first  from  the  place. 

I  will  not  try  to  state  what  that  cost  me.  I  saw  my  girl's 
face  everywhere  —  everywhere  in  the  darkness,  and  the  eyes 
reproached  me.  That  she  of  all  should  suffer,  who  had 
never  fainted,  never  faltered,  whose  patience  and  courage 
had  been  the  women's  stay  from  the  first  —  that  she  should 
suffer !  I  thought  of  the  tender,  weak  body,  and  of  all  the 
things  that  might  happen  to  her,  and  I  seemed,  as  I  went 
away  from  her,  the  vilest  thing  that  lived. 

But  reason  was  against  me.  If  I  stayed  there  and  waited 
on  the  road  by  the  old  crone's  body  until  morning,  what 
could  I  do  ?  Whither  could  I  turn  ?  Marie  was  gone  and 
already  might  be  half  a  dozen  miles  away.  So  the  bonds  of 
custom  and  duty  held  me.  Dazed  and  bewildered,  I  lacked 
the  strength  that  was  needed  to  run  counter  to  all.  I  was 
no  knight  errant,  but  a  plain  man,  and  I  reeled  on  through 
the  last  hour  of  the  night  and  the  first  grey  streaks  of 
dawn,  with  my  head  on  my  breast  and  sobs  of  despair  in 
my  throat. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

NUREMBERG. 

IF  it  had  been  our  fate  after  that  to  continue  our  flight  in 
the  same  weary  fashion  we  had  before  devised,  lying  in 
woods  by  day,  and  all  night  riding  jaded  horses,  until  we 
passed  the  gates  of  some  free  city,  I  do  not  think  that  I 
could  have  gone  through  with  it.  Doubtless  it  was  my  duty 
to  go  with  my  lady.  But  the  long  hours  of  daylight  in- 


260  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

action,  the  slow  brooding  tramp,  must  have  proved  intoler- 
able. And  at  some  time  or  other,  in  some  way  or  other,  I 
must  have  snapped  the  ties  that  bound  me. 

But,  as  if  the  loss  of  my  heart  had  rid  us  of  some  spell 
cast  over  us,  by  noon  of  that  day  we  stood  safe.  For,  an 
hour  before  noon,  while  we  lay  in  a  fir-wood  not  far  from 
Weimar,  and  Jacob  kept  watch  on  the  road  below,  and  the 
rest  slept  as  we  pleased,  a  party  of  horse  came  along  the 
way,  and  made  as  if  to  pass  below  us.  They  numbered 
more  than  a  hundred,  and  Jacob's  heart  failed  him,  lest 
some  ring  or  buckle  of  our  accoutrements  should  sparkle 
and  catch  their  eyes.  To  shift  the  burden  he  called  us,  and 
we  went  to  watch  them. 

'  Do  they  go  north  or  south  ?  '  I  asked  him  as  I  rose. 

'  North,'  he  whispered. 

After  that  they  were  nothing  to  me,  but  I  went  with  the 
rest.  Our  lair  was  in  some  rocks  overhanging  the  road. 
By  the  time  we  looked  over,  the  horsemen  were  below  us, 
and  we  could  see  nothing  of  them ;  though  the  sullen  tramp 
of  their  horses,  and  the  jingle  of  bit  and  spur,  reached  us 
clearly.  Presently  they  came  into  sight  again  on  the  road 
beyond,  riding  steadily  away  with  their  backs  to  us. 

'  That  is  not  General  Tzerclas  ?  '  my  lady  muttered  anx- 
iously. 

1  Nor  any  of  his  people  ! '  Steve  said  with  an  oath. 

That  led  me  to  look  more  closely,  and  I  saw  in  a  moment 
something  that  lifted  me  out  of  my  moodiness.  I  sprang  on 
the  rock  against  which  I  was  leaning  and  shouted  long  and 
loudly. 

'  Himmel ! '  Steve  cried,  seizing  me  by  the  ankle.  '  Are 
you  mad,  man  ?  ' 

But  I  only  shouted  again,  and  waved  my  cap  frantically. 
Then  I  slipped  down,  sobered.  'They  see  us,'  I  cried. 
'  They  are  Leuchtenstein's  riders.  And  Count  Hugo  is  with 
them.  You  are  safe,  my  lady.' 

She  turned  white  and  red,  and  I  saw  her  clutch  at  the  rock 
to  keep  herself  on  her  feet.  '  Are  you  sure  ?  '  she  said. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  261 

The  troop  had  halted  and  were  wheeling  slowly  and  in 
perfect  order. 

1  Quite  sure,  my  lady,'  I  answered,  with  a  touch  of  bitter- 
ness in  my  tone.  Why  had  not  this  happened  yesterday  or 
the  day  before  ?  Then  my  girl  would  have  been  saved. 
Now  it  came  too  late  !  Too  late  !  No  wonder  I  felt  bitterly 
about  it. 

We  went  down  into  the  road  on  foot,  a  little  party  of  nine 
—  four  women  and  five  men.  The  horsemen,  as  they  came 
up,  looked  at  us  in  wonder.  Our  clothes,  even  my  lady's, 
were  dyed  with  mud  and  torn  in  a  score  of  places.  We  had 
not  washed  for  days,  and  our  faces  were  lean  with  famine. 
Some  of  the  women  were  shoeless  and  had  their  hair  about 
their  ears,  while  Steve  was  bare-headed  and  bare-armed, 
and  looked  so  huge  a  ruffian  the  stocks  must  have  yawned 
for  him  anywhere.  They  drew  up  and  gazed  at  us,  and 
then  Count  Hugo  came  riding  down  the  column  and 
saw  us. 

My  lady  went  forward  a  step.  'Count  Leuchtenstein,' 
she  said,  her  voice  breaking ;  she  had  only  seen  him  once, 
and  then  under  the  mask  of  a  plain  name.  But  he  was 
safety,  honour,  life  now,  and  I  think  that  she  could  have 
kissed  him.  I  think  for  a  little  she  could  have  fallen  into 
his  arms.- 

'  Countess ! '  he  said,  as  he  sprang  from  his  horse  in 
wonder.  '  Is  it  really  you  ?  Gott  im  Hiramel !  These  are 
strange  times.  Waldgrave !  Your  pardon.  Ach !  Have 
you  come  on  foot?' 

'  Not  I.  But  these  brave  men  have,'  my  lady  answered, 
tears  in  her  voice. 

He  looked  at  Steve  and  grunted.  Then  he  looked  at  me 
and  his  eyes  lightened.  '  Are  these  all  your  party  ? '  he 
said  hurriedly. 

'  All,'  my  lady  answered  in  a  low  voice. 

He  did  not  ask  farther,  but  he  sighed,  and  I  knew  that 
he  had  looked  for  his  child.  'I  came  north  upon  a  recon- 
naissance, and  was  about  to  turn,'  he  said.  <  I  am  thankful 


262  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

that  I  did  not  turn  before.  Is  Tzerclas  in  pursuit  of 
you?' 

'  I  do  not  know,'  my  lady  answered,  and  told  him  shortly 
of  our  flight,  and  how  we  had  lain  two  days  and  a  night  in 
the  osier-bed. 

'  It  was  a  good  thought,'  he  said.  '  But  I  fear  that  you 
are  half  famished.'  And  he  called  for  food  and  wine,  and 
served  my  lady  with  his  own  hands,  while  he  saw  that  we 
did  not  go  without.  'Campaigner's  fare,'  he  said.  'But 
you  come  of  a  fighting  stock,  Countess,  and  can  put  up 
with  it.' 

'  Shame  on  me  if  I  could  not,'  she  answered. 

There  was  a  quaver  in  her  voice,  which  showed  how  the 
rencontre  moved  her,  how  full  her  heart  was  of  unspoken 
gratitude. 

'  When  you  have  finished,  we  will  get  to  horse,'  he  said.  '  I 
must  take  you  with  me  to  Nuremberg,  for  I  am  not  strong 
enough  to  detach  a  party.  But  this  evening  we  will  make  a 
long  halt  at  Hesel,  and  secure  you  a  good  night's  rest.' 

'  I  am  sorry  to  be  so  burdensome,'  my  lady  said  timidly. 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  without  compliment,  but  I 
did  not  hear  what  he  answered.  For  I  could  bear  no  more. 
Marie  seemed  so  forgotten  in  this  crowd,  so  much  a  thing 
of  the  past,  that  my  gorge  rose.  No  word  of  her,  no 
thought  of  her,  no  talk  of  a  search  party  !  I  pictured  her 
forlorn,  helpless  little  figure,  her  pale,  uncomplaining  face 
—  I  and  no  one  else ;  and  I  had  to  go  away  into  the  bushes 
to  hide  myself.  She  was  forgotten  already.  She  had  done 
all  for  them,  I  said  to  myself,  and  they  forgot  her. 

Then,  in  the  thicket  screened  from  the  party,  I  had  a 
thought  —  to  go  back  and  look  for  her,  myself.  Now  my 
lady  was  safe,  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  me.  I  had 
only  to  lie  close  among  the  rocks  until  Count  Hugo  left, 
and  then  I  might  plod  back  on  foot  and  search  as  I  pleased. 
In  a  flash  I  saw  the  poplars,  and  the  road  running  beneath 
the  ash-tree,  and  the  woman's  body  lying  stiff  and  stark  on 
the  sward.  And  I  burned  to  be  there. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  263 

Left  to  myself  I  should  have  gone  too.  But  the  plan 
was  no  sooner  formed  than  shattered.  While  I  stood,  hot- 
foot to  be  about  it,  and  pausing  only  to  consider  which  way 
I  could  steal  off  most  safely,  a  rustling  warned  me  that 
some  one  was  coming,  and  before  I  could  stir,  a  burly 
trooper  broke  through  the  bushes  and  confronted  me.  He 
saluted  me  stolidly. 

'  Sergeant,'  he  said,  '  the  general  is  waiting  for  you.' 

'  The  general  ? '  I  said. 

'  The  Count,  if  you  like  it  better,'  he  answered.  '  Come, 
if  you  please.' 

I  followed  him,  full  of  vexation.  It  was  but  a  step  into 
the  road.  The  moment  I  appeared,  some  one  gave  the  word 
'  Mount ! '  A  horse  was  thrust  in  front  of  me,  two  or  three 
troopers  who  still  remained  afoot  swung  themselves  into 
the  saddle ;  and  I  followed  their  example.  In  a  trice  we 
were  moving  down  the  valley  at  a  dull,  steady  pace  — 
southwards,  southwards.  I  looked  back,  and  saw  the  fir 
trees  and  rocks  where  we  had  lain  hidden,  and  then  we 
turned  a  corner,  and  they  were  gone.  Gone,  and  all  round 
me  I  heard  the  measured  tramp  of  the  troop-horses,  the 
swinging  tones  of  the  men,  and  the  clink  and  jingle  of 
sword  and  spur.  I  called  myself  a  cur,  but  I  went  on, 
swept  away  by  the  force  of  numbers,  as  the  straw  by  the 
current.  Once  I  caught  Count  Hugo's  eye  fixed  on  me, 
and  I  fancied  he  had  a  message  for  me,  but  I  failed  to 
interpret  it. 

Steve  rode  by  me,  and  his  face  too  was  moody.  I  sup- 
pose that  we  should  all  of  us  have  thanked  God  the  peril 
was  past.  But  my  lady  rode  in  another  part  with  Count 
Leuchtenstein  and  the  Waldgrave ;  and  Steve  yearned,  I 
fancy,  for  the  old  days  of  trouble  and  equality,  when  there 
was  no  one  to  come  between  us. 

I  saw  Count  Hugo  that  night.  He  sent  for  me  to  his 
quarters  at  Hesel,  and  told  me  frankly  that  he  would  have 
let  me  go  back  had  he  thought  good  could  come  of  it. 

'  But  it  would  have  been  looking  for  a  needle  in  a  bundle 


264  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

of  hay,  my  friend,'  lie  continued.  '  Tzerclas'  men  would 
have  picked  you  up,  or  the  peasants  killed  you  for  a  soldier, 
and  in  a  month  perhaps  the  girl  would  have  returned  safe 
and  sound,  to  find  you  dead.' 

'  My  lord ! '  I  cried  passionately,  '  she  saved  your  child. 
It  was  to  her  as  her  own ! ' 

'I  know  it,'  he  answered  with  gravity,  which  of  itself 
rebuked  me.  '  And  where  is  my  child  ? ' 

I  shook  my  head. 

(  Yet  I  do  not  give  up  my  work  and  the  task  God  and 
the  times  have  given  me,  and  go  out  looking  for  it ! '  he 
answered  severely.  ( Leaving  Scot,  and  Swede,  and  Pole, 
and  Switzer  to  divide  my  country.  For  shame  !  You  have 
your  work  too,  and  it  lies  by  your  lady's  side.  See  to  it 
that  you  do  it.  For  the  rest  I  have  scouts  out,  who  know 
the  country ;  if  I  learn  anything  through  them  you  shall 
hear  it.  And  now  of  another  matter.  How  long  has  the 
Waldgrave  been  like  this,  my  friend  ? ' 

'  Like  this,  my  lord  ?'  I  muttered  stupidly. 

He  nodded.  'Yes,  like  this,'  he  repeated.  'I  have 
heard  him  called  a  brave  man.  Coming  of  his  stock,  he 
should  be ;  and  when  I  saw  him  in  Tzerclas'  camp  he  had 
the  air  of  one.  Now  he  starts  at  a  shadow,  is  in  a  trance 
half  his  time,  and  a  tremor  the  other  half.  What  ails 
him?' 

I  told  him  how  he  had  been  wounded,  fighting  bravely, 
and  that  since  that  he  had  not  been  himself. 

Count  Hugo  rubbed  his  chin  gravely.  '  It  is  a  pity,'  he 
said.  l  We  want  all  —  every  German  arm  and  every  Ger- 
man head.  We  want  you.  Man  alive ! '  he  continued, 
roused  to  anger,  I  suppose,  by  my  dull  face,  '  do  you  know 
what  is  in  front  of  you  ? ' 

'  No,  my  lord,'  I  said  in  apathy. 

He  opened  his  mouth  as  if  to  hurl  a  volley  of  words  at 
me.  But  he  thought  better  of  it  and  shut  his  lips  tight. 
'Very  well,'  he  said  grimly.  'Wait  three  days  and  you 
will  see.' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  265 

But  in  truth,  I  had  not  to  wait  three  days.  Before  sun- 
set of  the  next  I  began  to  see,  and,  downcast  as  I  was,  to 
prick  up  my  ears  in  wonder.  Beyond  Romhild  and  be- 
tween that  town  and  Bamberg,  the  great  road  which  runs 
through  the  valley  of  the  Pegnitz,  was  such  a  sight  as  I 
had  never  seen.  For  many  miles  together  a  column  of 
dust  marked  its  course,  and  under  this  went  on  endless 
marching.  We  were  but  a  link  in  a  long  chain,  dragging 
slowly  southwards.  Now  it  was  a  herd  of  oxen  that  passed 
along,  moving  tediously  and  painfully,  driven  by  half-naked 
cattle-men  and  guarded  by  a  troop  of  grimy  horse.  Now  it 
was  a  reinforcement  of  foot  from  Fulda,  rank  upon  rank  of 
shambling  men  trailing  long  pikes,  and  footsore,  and  parched 
as  they  were,  getting  over  the  ground  in  a  wonderful  fashion. 
After  them  would  come  a  long  string  of  waggons,  bearing 
corn,  and  hay,  and  malt,  and  wines;  all  lurching  slowly 
forward,  slowly  southward ;  often  delayed,  for  every  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  a  horse  fell  or  an  axle  broke,  yet  getting 
forward. 

And  then  the  most  wonderful  sight  of  all,  a  regiment  of 
Swedish  horse  passed  us,  marching  from  Erfurt.  All  their 
horses  were  grey,  and  all  their  head-pieces,  backs  and 
breasts  of  black  metal,  matched  one  another.  As  they 
came  on  through  the  dust  with  a  tramp  which  shook  the 
ground,  they  sang,  company  by  company,  to  the  music  of 
drums  and  trumpets,  a  hymn,  'Versage  nicht,  du  Hauflein 
kleiu! '  Behind  them  a  line  of  light  waggons  carried  their 
wives  and  children,  also  singing.  And  so  they  went  by  us, 
eight  hundred  swords,  and  I  thought  it  a  marvel  I  should 
never  see  beaten. 

When  they  were  gone  out  of  sight,  there  were  still  droves 
of  horses  and  mighty  flocks  of  sheep  to  come,  and  cargoes 
of  pork,  and  more  foot  and  horse  and  guns.  Some  com- 
panies wore  buff  coats  and  small  steel  caps,  and  carried 
arquebuses ;  and  some  marched  smothered  in  huge  head- 
pieces with  backs  and  breasts  to  match.  And  besides  all 
the  things  I  have  mentioned  and  the  crowds  of  sutlers 


266  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

and  horse-boys  that  went  with  them,  there  were  muni- 
tion waggons  closely  guarded,  and  pack-horses  laden  with 
powder,  and  always  and  always  waggons  of  corn  and  hay. 

And  all  hurrying,  jostling,  crawling  southwards.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  the  world  was  marching  southwards; 
that  if  we  went  on  we  must  fall  in  at  the  end  of  this  with 
every  one  we  knew.  And  the  thought  comforted  me. 

Steve  put  it  into  words  after  his  fashion.  *  It  must  be  a 
big  place  we  are  going  to,'  he  said,  about  noon  of  the  second 
day,  '  or  who  is  to  eat  all  this  ?  And  do  you  mark,  Master 
Martin?  We  meet  no  one  coming  back.  All  go  south. 
This  place  Nuremberg  that  they  talk  of  must  be  worth 
seeing.' 

'  It  should  be,'  I  said. 

And  after  that  the  excitement  of  the  march  began  to 
take  hold  of  me.  I  began  to  think  and  wonder,  and  look 
forward,  with  an  eagerness  I  did  not  understand,  to  the 
issues  of  this. 

We  lay  a  night  at  Bamberg,  where  the  crowd  and  con- 
fusion and  the  stress  of  people  were  so  great  that  Steve 
would  have  it  we  had  come  to  Nuremberg.  And  certainly 
I  had  never  known  such  a  hurly-burly,  nor  heard  of  it 
except  at  the  great  fair  at  Dantzic.  The  night  after  we 
lay  at  Erlangen,  which  we  found  fortified,  trenched,  and 
guarded,  with  troops  lying  in  the  square,  and  the  streets 
turned  into  stables.  From  that  place  to  Nuremberg  was 
a  matter  of  ten  miles  only ;  but  the  press  was  so  great  on 
the  road  that  it  took  us  a  good  part  of  the  day  to  ride  from 
one  to  the  other.  In  the  open  country  on  either  side  of  the 
way  strong  bodies  of  horse  and  foot  were  disposed.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  here  was  already  an  army  and  a  camp. 

But  when  late  in  the  afternoon  we  entered  Nuremberg 
itself,  and  viewed  the  traffic  in  the  streets,  and  the  endless 
lines  of  gabled  houses,  the  splendid  mansions  and  bridges, 
the  climbing  roofs  and  turrets  and  spires  of  this,  the  great- 
est city  in  Germany,  then  we  thought  little  of  all  we  had 
seen  before.  Here  thousands  upon  thousands  rubbed 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  267 

shoulders  in  the  streets  ;  here  continuous  boats  turned 
the  river  into  solid  land.  Here  we  were  told  were  baked 
every  day  a  hundred  thousand  loaves  of  bread ;  and  I  saw 
with  my  own  eyes  a  list  of  a  hundred  and  thirty-eight  bake- 
houses. The  roar  of  the  ways,  choked  with  soldiers  and 
citizens,  the  babel  of  strange  tongues,  the  clamour  of  bells  and 
trumpets,  deafened  us.  The  constant  crowding  and  pushing 
and  halting  turned  our  heads.  I  forgot  my  grief  and  my 
hope  too.  Who  but  a  madman  would  look  to  find  a  single 
face  where  thousands  gazed  from  the  windows  ?  or  could 
deem  himself  important  with  this  swarming,  teeming  hive 
before  him  ?  Steve  stared  stupidly  about  him ;  I  rode 
dazed  and  perplexed.  The  troopers  laughed  at  us,  or 
promised  us  greater  things  when  we  should  see  the 
Swedish  Lager  outside  the  town,  and  Wallenstein's  great 
camp  arrayed  against  it.  But  I  noticed  that  even  they,  as 
we  drew  nearer  to  the  heart  of  the  city,  fell  silent  at  times, 
and  looked  at  one  another,  surprised  at  the  great  influx  of 
people  and  the  shifting  scenes  which  the  streets  presented. 

For  myself  and  Steve  and  the  men,  we  were  as  good  as 
nought.  A  house  in  the  Ritter-Strasse  was  assigned  to  my 
lady  for  her  quarters  — no  one  could  lodge  in  the  city  with- 
out the  leave  of  the  magistrates ;  and  we  were  glad  to  get 
into  it  and  cool  our  dizzy  heads,  and  look  at  one  another. 
Count  Hugo  stayed  awhile,  standing  with  my  lady  and  the 
Waldgrave  in  one  of  the  great  oriels  that  overlooked  the 
street.  But  a  mounted  messenger,  sent  on  from  the  Town 
House,  summoned  him,  and  he  took  horse  again  for  the 
camp.  I  do  not  know  what  we  should  have  done  without" 
him  at  entering.  The  soldiers,  who  crowded  the  streets, 
showed  scant  respect  for  names,  and  would  as  soon  have 
jostled  my  lady  as  a  citizen's  wife ;  but  wherever  he  came 
hats  were  doffed  and  voices  lowered,  and  in  the  greatest 
press  a  way  was  made  for  him  as  by  magic. 

For  that  night  we  had  seen  enough.  I  thought  we  had 
seen  all,  or  that  nothing  in  my  life  would  ever  surprise  me 
again.  But  next  day  my  lady  went  up  to  the  Burg  on  the 


268  Mr  LADY  ROTHA. 

hill  in  the  middle  of  the  city  to  look  abroad,  and  took  Steve 
and  myself  with  her.  And  then  I  found  that  I  had  not  seen 
the  half.  The  city,  all  roofs  and  spires  and  bridges,  girt 
with  a  wall  of  seventy  towers,  roared  beneath  us  ;  and  that 
I  had  expected.  But  outside  the  wall  I  now  saw  a  second 
city  of  huts  and  tents,  with  a  great  earthwork  about  it,  and 
bastions  and  demilunes  and  picquets  posted. 

This  was  the  Swedish  Lager.  It  lay  principally  to  the 
south  of  the  city  proper,  though  on  all  sides  it  encircled  it 
more  or  less.  They  told  me  that  there  lay  in  it  about 
forty  thousand  soldiers  and  twenty  thousand  horses,  and 
twenty  thousand  camp  followers  ;  but  the  number  was  con- 
stantly increasing,  death  and  disease  notwithstanding,  so 
that  it  presently  stood  as  high  as  sixty  thousand  fighting 
men  and  half  as  many  followers,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
garrison  that  lay  in  the  city,  or  the  troops  posted  to  guard 
the  approaches.  It  seemed  to  me,  gazing  over  that  mighty 
multitude  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  that  nothing  could 
resist  such  a  force;  and  I  looked  abroad  with  curiosity 
for  the  enemy. 

I  expected  to  view  his  army  cheek  by  jowl  with  us  ;  and 
I  was  disappointed  when  I  saw  beyond  our  camp  to  south- 
ward, where  I  was  told  he  lay,  only  a  clear  plain  with  the 
little  river  Rednitz  flowing  through  it.  This  plain  was  a 
league  and  more  in  width,  and  it  was  empty  of  men. 
Beyond  it  rose  a  black  wooded  ridge,  very  steep  and 
hairy. 

My  lady  explained  that  Wallenstein's  army  lay  along 
this  ridge  —  seventy  thousand  men,  and  forty  thousand 
horses,  and  Wallenstein  himself.  His  camp  we  heard  was 
eight  miles  round,  the  front  guarded  by  a  line  of  cannon, 
and  taking  in  whole  villages  and  castles.  And  now  I 
looked  again  I  saw  the  smoke  hang  among  the  trees.  They 
whispered  in  Nuremberg  that  no  man  in  that  army  took 
pay ;  that  all  served  for  booty ;  and  that  the  troopers  that 
sacked  Magdeburg  and  followed  Tilly  were,  beside  these, 
gentle  and  kindly  men. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  269 

'  God  help  us  ! '  my  lady  cried  fervently.  '  God  help  this 
great  city  !  God  help  the  North  !  Never  was  such  a  battle 
fought  as  must  be  fought  here  ! ' 

We  went  down  very  much  sobered,  filled  with  awe  and 
wonder  and  great  thoughts,  the  dullest  of  us  feeling  the  air 
heavy  with  portents,  the  more  clerkly  considering  of  Arma- 
geddon and  the  Last  Fight.  Briefly  —  for  thirteen  years 
the  Emperor  and  the  Papists  had  hustled  and  harried  the 
Protestants ;  had  dragooned  Donauworth,  and  held  down 
Bohemia,  and  plundered  the  Palatinate,  and  crushed  the 
King  of  Denmark,  and  wherever  there  was  a  weak  Protestant 
state  had  pressed  sorely  on  it.  Then  one  short  year  before 
I  stood  on  the  Burg  above  the  Pegnitz,  the  Protestant  king 
had  come  out  of  the  North  like  a  thunderbolt,  had  shattered 
in  a  month  the  Papist  armies,  had  run  like  a  devouring  fire 
down  the  Priests'  Lane,  rushed  over  Bohemia,  shaken  the 
Emperor  on  his  throne ! 

But  could  he  maintain  himself?  That  was  now  to  be 
seen.  To  the  Emperor's  help  had  come  all  who  loved  the 
old  system,  and  would  have  it  that  the  south  was  Germany  ; 
all  who  wished  to  chain  men's  minds  and  saw  their  profit 
in  the  shadow  of  the  imperial  throne ;  all  who  lived  by 
license  and  plunder,  and  reckoned  a  mass  to-day  against  a 
murder  to-morrow.  All  these  had  come,  from  the  great 
Duke  of  Friedland  grasping  at  empire,  to  the  meanest 
freebooter  with  peasant's  blood  on  his  hands  and  in  his 
veins ;  and  there  they  lay  opposite  us,  impregnably  placed 
on  the  Burgstall,  waiting  patiently  until  famine  and  the 
sword  should  weaken  the  fair  city,  and  enable  them  to 
plunge  their  vulture's  talons  into  its  vitals. 

No  wonder  that  in  Nuremberg  the  citizens  could  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  soldiers  by  their  careworn  faces ;  or 
that  many  a  man  stood  morning  and  evening  to  gaze  at  the 
carved  and  lofty  front  of  his  house  —  by  St.  Sebald's  or 
behind  the  new  Cathedral  —  and  wondered  how  long  the 
fire  would  spare  it.  The  magistrates  who  had  staked  all 
—  their  own  and  the  city's  —  on  this  cast,  went  about  with 


270  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

stern,  grave  faces  and  feared  almost  to  meet  the  public  eye. 
With  a  doubled  population,  with  a  huge  army  to  feed,  with 
order  to  keep,  with  houses  and  wives  and  daughters  of  their 
own  to  protect,  with  sack  and  storm  looming  luridly  in  the 
future,  who  had  cares  like  theirs  ? 

One  man  only,  and  him  I  saw  as  we  went  home  from  the 
Burg.  It  was  near  the  foot  of  the  Burg  hill,  where  the 
strasse  meets  three  other  ways.  At  that  time  Count  Tilly's 
crooked,  dwarfish  figure  and  pale  horse's  face,  and  the  great 
hat  and  boots  which  seemed  to  swallow  him  up,  were  fresh 
in  my  mind;  and  sometimes  I  had  wondered  whether  this 
other  great  commander  were  like  him.  Well,  I  was  to 
know ;  for  through  the  crowd  at  the  junction  of  these  four 
roads,  while  we  stood  waiting  to  pass,  there  came  a  man  on 
a  white  horse,  followed  by  half  a  score  of  others  on  horse- 
back ;  and  in  a  moment  I  knew  from  the  shouting  and  the 
way  women  thrust  papers  into  his  hands  that  we  saw  the 
King  of  Sweden. 

He  wore  a  plain  buff  coat  and  a  grey  flapped  hat  with  a 
feather ;  a  tall  man  and  rather  bulky,  his  face  massive  and 
fleshy,  with  a  close  moustache  trimmed  to  a  point  and  a 
small  tuft  on  his  chin.  His  aspect  was  grave ;  he  looked 
about  him  with  a  calm  eye,  and  the  shouting  did  not  seem 
to  move  him.  They  told  me  that  it  was  Baner,  the  Swedish 
General,  who  rode  with  him,  and  our  Bernard  of  Weimar 
who  followed.  But  my  eye  fell  more  quickly  on  Count 
Leuchtenstein,  who  rode  after,  with  the  great  Chancellor 
Oxenstierna ;  in  him,  in  his  steady  gaze  and  serene  brow 
and  wholesome  strength,  I  traced  the  nearest  likeness  to 
the  king. 

And  so  I  first  saw  the  great  Gustavus  Adolphus.  It  was 
said  that  he  would  at  times  fall  into  fits  of  Berserk  rage, 
and  that  in  the  field  he  was  another  man,  keen  as  his  sword, 
swift  as  fire,  pitiless  to  those  who  flinched,  among  the  fore- 
most in  the  charge,  a  very  thunderbolt  of  war.  But  as  I 
saw  him  taking  papers  from  women's  hands  at  the  end  of 
the  Burg  Strasse,  he  had  rather  the  air  of  a  quiet,  worthy 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  271 

prince  —  of  Coburg  or  Darmstadt,  it  might  be,  —  no  dresser 
and  no  brawler ;  nor  would  any  one,  to  see  him  then,  have 
thought  that  this  was  the  lion  of  the  north  who  had  dashed 
the  pride  of  Pappenheim  and  flung  aside  the  firebrands  of 
the  south.  Or  that  even  now  he  had  on  his  shoulders  the 
burden  of  two  great  nations  and  the  fate  of  a  million  of 
men. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    FACE    AT    THE    WINDOW. 

AFTER  this  it  fared  with  us  as  it  fares  at  last  with  the 
driftwood  that  chance  or  the  woodman's  axe  has  given 
to  a  forest  stream  in  Heritzburg.  After  rippling  over 
the  shallows  and  shooting  giddily  down  slopes  —  or  per- 
chance lying  cooped  for  days  in  some  dark  bend,  until  the 
splash  of  the  otter  or  the  spring  freshet  has  sent  it  dancing 
on  in  sunshine  and  shadow  —  it  reaches  at  last  the  Werra. 
It  floats  out  on  the  bosom  of  the  great  stream,  and  no  longer 
tossed  and  chafed  by  each  tiny  pebble,  feels  the  force  of 
wind  and  stream  —  the  great  forces  of  the  world.  The 
banks  recede  from  sight,  and  one  of  a  million  atoms,  it  is 
borne  on  gently  and  irresistibly,  whither  it  does  not  know. 
So  it  was  with  us.  From  the  day  we  fell  in  with  Count 
Leuchtenstein  and  set  our  faces  towards  Nuremberg,  and 
in  a  greater  degree  after  we  reached  that  city,  we  embarked 
on  a  wider  current  of  adventure,  a  fuller  and  less  selfish 
life.  If  we  had  still  our  own  cares  and  griefs,  hopes  and 
perils  —  as  must  be  the  case,  I  suppose,  until  we  die  —  we 
had  other  common  ones  which  we  shared  with  tens  of 
thousands,  rich  and  poor,  gentle  and  simple.  We  had  to 
dread  sack  and  storm  ;  we  prayed  for  relief  and  safety  in 
company  with  all  who  rose  and  lay  down  within  the  walls. 
When  a  hundred  waggons  of  corn  slipped  through  the 
Croats  and  came  in,  or  Duke  Bernard  of  Weimar  beat  up  a 


272  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

corner  of  the  Burgstall  and  gave  Wallenstein  a  bad  night, 
we  ran  out  into  the  streets  to  tell  and  hear  the  news. 
Similarly,  when  tidings  came  that  Tzerclas  with  his  two 
thousand  ruffians  had  burned  the  King  of  Sweden's  colours, 
put  on  green  sashes,  and  marched  into  the  enemy's  camp, 
we  were  not  alone  in  our  gloomy  anticipations.  We  still 
had  our  private  adventures,  and  I  am  going  to  tell  them. 
But  besides  these,  it  should  be  remembered  that  we  ran 
the  risks,  and  rose  every  morning  fresh  to  the  fears,  of 
Nuremberg.  When  bread  rose  to  ten,  to  fifteen,  to  twenty 
times  its  normal  price ;  when  the  city,  where  many  died 
every  day  of  famine,  plague,  and  wounds,  began  to  groan 
and  heave  in  its  misery ;  when  through  all  the  country 
round  the  peasants  crawled  and  died  among  the  dead; 
when  Wallenstein,  that  dark  man,  heedless  of  the  fearful 
mortality  in  his  own  camp,  still  sat  implacable  on  the 
heights  and  refused  all  the  king's  invitations  to  battle,  we 
grew  pale  and  gloomy,  stern-eyed  and  thin-cheeked  with 
the  rest.  We  dreamed  of  Magdeburg  as  they  did ;  and  as 
the  hot  August  days  passed  slowly  over  the  starving  city 
and  still  no  end  appeared,  but  only  with  each  day  some 
addition  of  misery,  we  felt  our  hearts  sink  in  unison  with 
theirs. 

And  we  had  to  share,  not  their  lot  only,  but  their  labours. 
We  had  not  been  in  the  town  twenty-four  hours  before 
Steve,  Jacob,  and  Ernst  were  enrolled  in  the  town  militia ; 
to  me,  either  out  of  respect  to  my  lady,  or  on  account  of 
my  stature,  a  commission  as  lieutenant  was  granted.  We 
drilled  every  morning  from  six  o'clock  until  eight  in  the 
fields  outside  the  New  Gate ;  the  others  went  again  at  sun- 
set to  practise  their  weapons,  but  I  was  exempt  from  this 
drill,  that  the  women  might  not  be  left  alone.  At  all 
times  we  had  our  appointed  rendezvous  in  case  of  alarm  or 
assault.  The  Swedish  veterans  strolled  out  of  the  camp 
and  stood  to  laugh  at  our  clumsiness.  But  the  excellent 
order  which  prevailed  among  them  made  them  favourites, 
and  we  let  them  laugh,  and  laughed  again. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  273 

The  Waldgrave,  who  had  long  had  Duke  Bernard's 
promise,  received  a  regiment  of  horse,  so  that  he  lay  in  the 
camp  and  should  have  been  a  contented  man,  since  his 
strength  had  come  back  to  him.  But  to  my  surprise  he 
showed  signs  of  lukewarmness.  He  seemed  little  interested 
in  the  service,  and  was  often  at  my  lady's  house  in  the 
Hitter  Strasse,  when  he  would  have  been  better  at  his 
post.  At  first  I  set  this  down  to  his  passion  for  my  lady, 
and  it  seemed  excusable ;  but  within  a  week  I  stood  con- 
vinced that  this  no  longer  troubled  him.  He  paid  scant 
attention  to  her,  but  would  sit  for  hours  looking  moodily 
into  the  street.  And  I  —  and  not  I  alone  — began  to  watch 
him  closely. 

I  soon  found  that  Count  Hugo  was  right.  The  once 
gallant  and  splendid  young  fellow  was  a  changed  man. 
He  was  still  comely  and  a  brave  figure,  but  the  spirit  in 
him  was  quenched.  He  was  nervous,  absent,  irritable. 
His  eyes  had  a  wild  look;  on  strangers  he  made  an  un- 
favourable impression.  Doubtless,  though  his  wounds  had 
healed,  there  remained  some  subtle  injury  that  spoiled  the 
man  ;  and  often  I  caught  my  lady  looking  at  him  sadly,  and 
knew  that  I  was  not  the  only  one  with  cause  for  mourning. 

But  how  strange  he  was  we  did  not  know  until  a  certain 
day,  when  my  lady  and  I  were  engaged  together  over  some 
accounts.  It  was  evening,  and  the  three  men  were  away 
drilling.  The  house  was  very  quiet.  Suddenly  he  flung 
in  upon  us  with  a  great  noise,  his  colour  high,  his  eyes 
glittering.  His  first  action  was  to  throw  his  feathered  hat 
on  one  chair,  and  himself  into  another. 

'  I  've  seen  him  ! '  he  said.  '  Himmel !  he  is  a  clever 
fellow.  He  will  worst  you,  cousin,  yet  —  see  if  he  does 
not.  Oh,  he  is  a  clever  one  ! ' 

1  Who  ?'  my  lady  said,  looking  at  him  in  some  displeasure. 

'Who  ?    Tzerclas,  to  be  sure  ! '  he  answered,  chuckling. 

'  You  have  seen  him  ! '  she  exclaimed,  rising. 

'  Of  course  I  have ! '  he  answered.  '  And  you  will  see 
him  too,  one  of  these  days.' 

18 


274  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

My  lady  looked  at  me,  frowning.  But  I  shook  my  head. 
He  was  not  drunk.  „ 

'  Where  ? '  she  asked,  after  a  pause.  '  Where  did  you  see 
him,  Rupert  ? ' 

*  In  the  street  —  where  you  see  other  men,'  he  answered, 
chuckling  again.  '  He  should  not  be  there,  but  who  is  to 
keep  him  out  ?  He  is  too  clever.  He  will  get  his  way  in 
the  end,  see  if  he  does  not ! ' 

1  Rupert ! '  my  lady  cried  in  wrathful  amazement,  '  to 
hear  you,  one  would  suppose  you  admired  him.' 

1  So  I  do,'  he  replied  coolly.  '  Why  not  ?  He  has  all  the 
wits  of  the  family.  He  is  as  cunning  as  the  devil.  Take 
a  hint,  cousin;  put  yourself  on  the  right  side.  He  will 
win  in  the  end  ! '  And  the  Waldgrave  rose  restlessly  from 
his  chair,  and,  going  to  the  window,  began  to  whistle. 

My  lady  came  swiftly  to  me,  and  it  grieved  me  to  see  the 
pain  and  woe  in  her  face. 

'  Is  he  mad  ? '  she  muttered. 

I  shook  my  head. 

I  Do  you  think  he  has  really  seen  him  ? '  she  whispered. 
We  both  stood  with  our  eyes  on  him. 

I 1  fear  so,  my  lady,'  I  said  with  reluctance. 

'But  it  would  cost  him  his  life,'  she  muttered  eagerly, 
'  if  he  were  found  here  ! ' 

4  He  is  a  bold  man,'  I  answered. 

'  Ah !  so  was  he  —  once/  she  replied  in  a  peculiar  tone, 
and  she  pointed  stealthily  to  the  unconscious  man  in  the 
window.  '  A  month  ago  he  would  have  taken  him  by  the 
throat  anywhere.  What  has  come  to  him  ? ' 

1  God  knows,'  I  answered  reverently.  '  Grant  only  he 
may  do  us  no  harm ! ' 

He  turned  round  at  that,  humming  gaily,  and  went  out, 
seeming  almost  unconscious  of  our  presence;  and  I  made 
as  light  of  the  matter  to  my  lady  as  I  could.  But  Tzerclas 
in  the  city,  the  Waldgrave  mad,  or  at  any  rate  not  sane, 
and  last,  but  not  least,  the  strange  light  in  which  the  latter 
chose  to  regard  the  former,  were  circumstances  I  could  not 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  275 

easily  digest.  They  filled  me  with  uneasy  fears  and  sur- 
mises. I  began  to  perambulate  the  crowd,  seeking  furtively 
for  a  face ;  and  was  entirely  determined  what  I  would  do  if 
I  found  it.  The  town  was  full,  as  all  besieged  cities  are, 
of  rumours  of  spies  and  treachery,  and  of  reported  over- 
tures made  now  to  the  city  behind  the  back  of  the  army, 
and  now  to  the  army  to  betray  the  city.  A  single  word  of 
denunciation,  and  Tzerclas'  life  would  not  be  worth  three  -  m 
minutes'  purchase  —  a  rope  and  the  nearest  butcher's  hook 
would  end  it.  My  mind  was  made  up  to  say  the  word. 

I  suppose  I  had  been  going  about  in  this  state  of  vigi- 
lance three  days  or  more,  when  something,  but  not  the 
thing  I  sought,  rewarded  it.  At  the  time  I  was  on  my  way 
back  from  morning  drill.  It  was  a  little  after  eight,  and 
the  streets  and  the  people  wore  an  air  bright,  yet  haggard. 
Night,  with  its  perils,  was  over;  day,  with  its  privations, 
lay  before  us.  My  mind  was  on  the  common  fortunes,  but 
I  suppose  my  eyes  were  mechanically  doing  their  work,  for 
on  a  sudden  I  saw  something  at  a  window,  took  perhaps 
half  a  step,  and  stopped  as  if  I  had  been  shot. 

I  had  seen  Marie's  face  !  Nay,  I  still  saw  it,  while  a  man 
might  count  two.  Then  it  was  gone.  And  I  stood  gasping. 

I  suppose  I  stood  so  for  half  a  minute,  waiting,  with  the 
blood  racing  from  my  heart  to  my  head,  and  every  pulse  in 
my  body  beating.  But  she  did  not  reappear.  The  door  of 
the  house  did  not  open.  Nothing  happened. 

Yet  I  had  certainly  seen  her ;  for  I  remembered  particu- 
lars —  the  expression  of  her  face,  the  surprise  that  had 
leapt  into  her  eyes  as  they  met  mine,  the  opening  of  the 
lips  in  aii  exclamation. 

And  still  I  stood  gazing  at  the  window  and  nothing 
happened. 

At  last  I  came  to  myself,  and  I  scanned  the  house.  It 
was  a  large  house  of  four  stories,  three  gables  in  width. 
The  upper  stories  jutted  out ;  the  beams  on  which  they 
rested  were  finely  carved,  the  gables  were  finished  off  with 
rich,  wooden  pinnacles.  In  each  story,  the  lowest  ex- 


276  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

cepted,  were  three  long,  low  windows  of  the  common 
Nuremberg  type,  and  the  whole  had  a  substantial  and 
reputable  air. 

The  window  at  which  I  had  seen  Marie  was  farthest 
from  the  door,  on  the  first  floor.  To  go  to  the  door  I  had 
to  lose  sight  of  it,  and  perhaps  for  that  reason  I  stood  the 
longer.  At  last  I  went  and  knocked,  and  waited  in  a  fever 
for  some  one  to  come.  The  street  was  a  thoroughfare. 
There  were  a  number  of  people  passing.  I  thought  that 
all  the  town  would  go  by  before  a  dragging  foot  at  last 
sounded  inside,  and  the  great  nail-studded  door  was  opened 
on  the  chain.  A  stout,  red-faced  woman  showed  herself 
in  the  aperture. 

'  What  is  it  ? '  she  asked. 

'You  have  a  girl  in  this  house,  named  Marie  Wort,'  I 
answered  breathlessly.  'I  saw  her  a  moment  ago  at  the 
window.  I  know  her,  and  I  wish  to  speak  to  her.' 

The  woman's  little  eyes  dwelt  on  me  stolidly  for  a  space. 
Then  she  made  as  if  she  would  shut  the  door.  *  For 
shame ! '  she  said  spitefully.  '  We  have  no  girls  here. 
Begone  with  you!' 

But  I  put  my  foot  against  the  door.  'Whose  house  is 
this?'  I  said. 

'  Herr  Krapp's,'  she  answered  crustily. 

'  Is  he  at  home  ? ' 

'  No,  he  is  not,'  she  retorted ;  t  and  if  he  were,  we  have 
no  baggages  here.'  And  again  she  tried  to  shut  the  door, 
but  I  prevented  her. 

'  Where  is  he  ? '  I  asked  sternly. 

'  He  is  at  morning  drill,  if  you  must  know,'  she  snapped ; 
'  and  his  two  sons.  Now,  will  you  let  me  shut  my  door  ? 
Or  must  I  cry  out  ? ' 

'Nonsense,  mother!'  I  said.  'Who  is  in  the  house 
besides  yourself?' 

'What  is  that  to  you  ?'  she  replied,  breathing  short. 

'I  have  told  you,'  I  said,  trying  to  control  my  anger. 
<  j > 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  277 

But,  quick  as  lightning,  the  door  slammed  to  and  cut  me 
short.  I  had  thoughtlessly  moved  my  foot.  I  heard  the 
woman  chuckle  and  go  slipshod  down  the  passage,  and 
though  I  knocked  again  in  a  rage,  the  door  remained 
closed. 

I  fell  back  and  looked  at  the  house.  An  elderly  man  in 
a  grave,  sober  dress  was  passing,  among  others,  and  I  caught 
his  eye. 

'  Whose  house  is  that  ? '  I  asked  him. 

'  Herr  Krapp's,'  he  answered. 

'  I  am  a  stranger,'  I  said.     <  Is  he  a  man  of  substance  ?  ' 

The  person  I  addressed  smiled.  '  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Council  of  Safety,'  he  said  dryly.  '  His  brother  is  prefect 
of  this  ward.  But  here  is  Herr  Krapp.  Doubtless  he  has 
been  at  St.  Sebald's  drilling.' 

I  thanked  him,  and  made  but  two  steps  to  Herr  Krapp's 
side.  He  was  the  other's  twin  —  elderly,  soberly  dressed, 
his  only  distinction  a  sword  and  pistol  in  his  girdle  and  a 
white  shoulder  sash. 

'  Herr  Kraj>p  ? '  I  said. 

'  The  same,'  he  answered,  eying  me  gravely. 

'I  am  the  Countess  of  Heritzburg's  steward,'  I  said. 
I  began  to  see  the  need  of  explanation.  '  Doubtless  you 
have  heard  that  she  is  in  the  city  ? ' 

'  Certainly,'  he  answered.     '  In  the  Hitter  Strasse.' 

'Yes,'  I  replied.  'A  fortnight  ago  she  missed  a  young 
woman,  one  of  her  attendants.  She  was  lost  in  a  night 
adventure,'  I  continued,  my  throat  dry  and  husky.  '  A  few 
minutes  ago  I  saw  her  looking  from  one  of  your  windows.' 

'  From  one  of  my  windows  ? '  he  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of 
surprise. 

'Yes,' I  said  stiffly. 

He  opened  his  eyes  wide.  '  Here  ? '  he  said.  He  pointed 
to  his  house. 

I  nodded. 

'  Impossible ! '  he  replied,  shutting  his  lips  suddenly. 
'Quite  impossible,  my  friend,  My  household  consists  of 


278  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

my  two  sons  and  myself.     We  have  a  housekeeper  only, 
and  two  lads.     I  have  no  young  women  in  the  house.' 

'  Yet  I  saw  her  face,  Herr  Krapp,  at  your  window,'  I 
answered  obstinately. 

'  Wait,'  he   said  ;  '  I  will  ask.' 

But  when  the  old  housekeeper  came  she  had  only  the 
same  tale  to  tell.  She  was  alone.  No  young  woman  had 
crossed  the  threshold  for  a  week  past.  There  was  no  other 
woman  there,  young  or  old. 

'  You  will  have  it  that  I  have  a  young  man  in  the  house 
next ! '  she  grumbled,  shooting  scorn  at  me. 

'  I  can  assure  you  that  there  is  no  one  here,'  Herr  Krapp 
said  civilly.  '  Dorcas  has  been  with  me  many  years,  and  I 
can  trust  her.  Still  if  you  like  you  can  walk  through  the 
rooms.' 

But  I  hesitated  to  do  that.  The  man's  manner  evidenced 
his  sincerity,  and  in  face  of  it  my  belief  wavered.  Fancy, 
I  began  to  think,  had  played  me  a  trick.  It  was  no  great 
wonder  if  the  features  which  were  often  before  me  in  my 
dreams,  and  sometimes  painted  themselves  on  the  darkness 
while  I  lay  wakeful,  had  for  once  taken  shape  in  the  day- 
light, and  so  vividly  as  to  deceive  me.  I  apologised.  I 
said  what  was  proper,  and,  with  a  heavy  sigh,  went  from 
the  door. 

Ay,  and  with  bent  head.  The  passing  crowd  and  the 
sunshine  and  the  distant  music  of  drum  and  trumpet  grated 
on  me.  For  there  was  yet  another  explanation.  And  I 
feared  that  Marie  was  dead. 

I  was  still  brooding  sadly  over  the  matter  when  I  reached 
home.  Steve  met  me  at  the  door,  but,  feeling  in  no  mood 
for  small  talk  just  then,  I  would  have  passed  him  by  and 
gone  in,  if  he  had  not  stopped  me. 

'  I  have  a  message  for  you,  lieutenant,'  he  said. 

'  What  is  it  ?  '  I  asked  without  curiosity. 

'  A  little  boy  gave  it  to  me  at  the  door,'  he  answered.  '  I 
was  to  ask  you  to  be  in  the  street  opposite  Herr  Krapp's 
half  an  hour  after  sunset  this  evening.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  279 

I  gasped.     'Herr  Krapp's  ! '  I  exclaimed. 

Steve  iiodded,  looking  at  me  queerly.  'Yes;  do  you 
know  him  ? '  he  said. 

'I  do  now,'  I  muttered,  gulping  down  my  amazement. 
But  my  face  was  as  red  as  fire,  the  blood  drummed  in  my 
ears.  I  had  to  turn  away  to  hide  my  emotion.  '  What  was 
the  boy  like  ?  '  I  asked. 

But  it  seemed  that  the  lad  had  made  off  the  moment  he 
had  done  his  errand,  and  Steve  had  not  noticed  him  par- 
ticularly. '  I  called  after  him  to  know  who  sent  him,'  he 
added,  '  but  he  had  gone  too  far.' 

I  nodded  and  mumbled  something,  and  went  on  into  the 
house.  Perhaps  I  was  still  a  little  sore  on  my  girl's 
account,  and  resented  the  easy  way  in  which  she  had 
dropped  out  of  others'  lives.  At  any  rate,  my  instinct 
was  to  keep  the  thing  to  myself.  The  face  at  the  window, 
and  then  this  strange  assignation,  could  have  only  one 
meaning ;  but,  good  or  bad,  it  was  for  me.  And  I  hugged 
myself  on  it,  and  said  nothing  even  to  my  lady. 

The  day  seemed  long,  but  at  length  the  evening  came, 
and  when  the  men  had  gone  to  drill  and  the  house  was 
quiet,  I  slipped  out.  The  streets  were  full  at  this  hour  of 
men  passing  to  and  fro  to  their  drill-stations,  and  of  women 
who  had  been  out  to  see  the  camp,  and  were  returning 
before  the  gates  closed.  The  bells  of  many  of  the  churches 
were  ringing;  some  had  services.  I  had  to  push  my  way 
to  reach  Herr  Krapp's  house  in  time ;  but  once  there  the 
crowd  of  passers  served  my  purpose  by  screening  me,  as  I 
loitered,  from  farther  remark ;  while  I  took  care,  by  post- 
ing myself  in  a  doorway  opposite  the  window,  to  make  it 
easy  for  any  one  who  expected  me  to  find  me. 

And  then  I  waited  with  my  heart  beating.  The  clocks 
were  striking  a  half  after  seven  when  I  took  my  place,  and 
for  a  time  I  stood  in  a  ferment  of,  excitement,  now  staring 
with  bated  breath  at  the  casement,  where  I  had  seen  Marie, 
now  scanning  all  the  neighbouring  doorways,  and  then 
again  letting  my  eyes  rove  from  window  to  window  both 


28o  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

of  Krapp's  house  and  the  next  one  on  either  side.  As  the 
latter  were  built  with  many  quaint  oriels,  and  tiny  dormers, 
and  had  lattices  in  side-nooks,  where  one  least  looked  to 
find  them,  I  was  kept  expecting  and  employed.  I  was 
never  quite  sure,  look  where  I  would,  what  eyes  were  upon 
me. 

But  little  by  little,  as  time  passed  and  nothing  happened, 
and  the  strollers  all  went  by  without  accosting  me,  and  no 
faces  save  strange  ones  showed  at  the  windows,  the  heat  of 
expectation  left  me.  The  chill  of  disappointment  took  its 
place.  I  began  to  doubt  and  fear.  The  clocks  struck 
eight.  The  sun  had  been  down  an  hour.  Half  that  time 
I  had  been  waiting. 

To  remain  passive  was  no  longer  bearable,  and  sick  of 
caution,  I  stepped  out  and  began  to  walk  up  and  down  the 
street,  courting  rather  than  avoiding  notice.  The  traffic 
was  beginning  to  slacken.  I  could  see  farther  and  mark 
people  at  a  distance ;  but  still  no  one  spoke  to  me,  no  one 
came  to  me.  Here  and  there  lights  began  to  shine  in  the 
houses,  on  gleaming  oak  ceilings  and  carved  mantels.  The 
roofs  were  growing  black  against  the  paling  sky.  In  nooks 
and  corners  it  was  dark.  The  half-hour  sounded,  and  still 
I  walked,  fighting  down  doubt,  clinging  to  hope. 

But  when  another  quarter  had  gone  by,  doubt  became 
conviction.  I  had  been  fooled !  Either  some  one  who  had 
seen  me  loitering  at  Krapp's  in  the  morning  and  heard  my 
tale  had  gone  straight  off,  and  played  me  this  trick ;  or  — 
Gott  im  Himmel !  —  or  I  had  been  lured  here  that  I  might 
be  out  of  the  way  at  home. 

That  thought,  which  should  have  entered  my  thick  head 
an  hour  before,  sped  me  from  the  street,  as  if  it  had  been  a 
very  catapult.  Before  I  reached  the  corner  I  was  running; 
and  I  ran  through  street  after  street,  sweating  with  fear. 
But  quickly  as  I  went,  -my  thoughts  outpaced  me.  My 
lady  was  alone  save  for  her  women.  The  men  were  drilling, 
the  Waldgrave  was  in  the  camp.  The  crowded  state  of  the 
streets  at  sunset,  and  the  number  of  strangers  who  thronged 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  281 

the  city  favoured  certain  kinds  of  crime ;  in  a  great  crowd, 
as  in  a  great  solitude,  everything  is  possible. 

I  had  this  in  my  mind.  Judge,  then,  of  my  horror,  when, 
as  I  approached  the  Bitter  Strasse,  I  became  aware  of  a 
dull,  roaring  sound  ;  and  hastening  to  turn  the  corner,  saw 
a  large  mob  gathered  in  front  of  our  house,  and  filling  the 
street  from  wall  to  wall.  The  glare  of  torches  shone  on  a 
thousand  upturned  faces,  and  flamed  from  a  hundred  case- 
ments. At  the  windows,  on  the  roofs,  peering  over  balco- 
nies and  coping-stones  and  gables,  and  looking  out  of  door- 
ways were  more  faces,  all  red  in  the  torchlight.  And  all 
the  time  as  the  smoking  light  rose  and  fell,  the  yelling,  as 
it  seemed  to  me,  rose  and  fell  with  it  —  now  swelling  into 
a  stern  roar  of  exultation,  now  sinking  into  an  ugly,  snarl- 
ing noise,  above  which  a  man  might  hear  his  neighbour 
speak. 

I  seized  the  first  I  came  to  —  a  man  standing  on  the 
skirts  of  the  mob,  and  rather  looking  on  than  taking  part. 
'What  is  it?'  I  said,  shaking  him  roughly  by  the  arm. 
'What  is  the  matter  here?' 

'  Hallo  ! '  he  answered,  starting  as  he  turned  to  me.  '  Is 
it  you  again,  my  friend  ?  ' 

I  had  hit  on  Herr  Krapp !  '  Yes  ! '  I  cried  breathlessly. 
'  What  is  it  ?  what  is  amiss  ?  ' 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  '  They  are  hanging  a  spy,' 
he  answered.  '  Nothing  more.  Irregular,  but  wholesome.' 

I  drew  a  deep  breath.     '  Is  that  all  ? '  I  said. 

He  eyed  me  curiously.  '  To  be  sure,'  he  said.  '  What 
did  you  think  it  was  ? ' 

'I  feared  that  there  might  be  something  wrong  at  my 
lady's,'  I  said,  beginning  to  get  my  breath  again.  '  I  left 
her  alone  at  sunset.  And  when  I  saw  this  crowd  before 
the  house  I  —  I  could  almost  have  cut  off  my  hand.  Thank 
God,  I  was  mistaken  ! ' 

He  looked  at  me  again  and  seemed  to  reflect  a  moment. 
Then  he  said,  '  You  have  not  found  the  young  woman  you 
were  seeking  ? ' 


282  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

I  shook  my  head. 

'Well,  it  occurred  to  me  afterwards  —  but  at  which 
window  did  you  see  her  ? ' 

'  At  a  window  on  the  first  floor ;  the  farthest  from  the 
door/  I  answered. 

1  The  second  from  the  door  end  of  the  house?'  he  asked. 

'  No,  the  third.' 

He  nodded  with  an  air  of  quiet  triumph.  '  Just  so ! '  he 
said.  'I  thought  so  afterwards.  But  the  fact  is,  my  friend, 
my  house  ends  with  the  second  gable.  The  third  gable-end 
does  not  belong  to  it,  though  doubtless  it  once  did.' 

'  No  ?  '  I  exclaimed.  And  for  a  moment  I  stood  taken 
aback,  cursing  my  carelessness.  Then  I  stammered,  '  But 
this  third  gable  —  I  saw  no  door  in  it,  Herr  Krapp.' 

'No,  the  door  is  in  another  street/  he  answered.  'Or 
rather  it  opens  on  the  churchyard  at  the  back  of  St.  Austin's. 
So  you  may  have  seen  her  after  all.  Well,  I  wish  you  well/ 
he  continued.  '  I  must  be  going.' 

The  crowd  was  beginning  to  separate,  moving  away  by 
twos  and  threes,  talking  loudly.  The  lights  were  dying 
down.  He  nodded  and  was  gone ;  while  I  still  stood  gaping. 
For  how  did  the  matter  stand  ?  If  I  had  really  seen  Marie 
at  the  window  —  as  seemed  possible  now  —  and  if  nothing 
turned  out  to  be  amiss  at  home,  then  I  had  not  been  tricked 
after  all,  and  the  message  was  genuine.  True  she  had  not 
kept  her  appointment.  But  she  might  be  in  durance, 
or  one  of  a  hundred  things  might  have  frustrated  her 
intention. 

Still  I  could  do  nothing  now  except  go  home,  and  cutting 
short  my  speculations,  I  forced  myself  through  the  press, 
and  with  some  labour  managed  to  reach  the  door.  As  I 
did  so  I  turned  to  look  back,  and  the  sight,  though  the 
people  were  moving  away  fast,  was  sufficiently  striking. 
Almost  opposite  us  in  a  beetling  archway,  the  bowed  head 
and  shoulders  of  a  man  stood  up  above  the  common  level. 
There  was  a  little  space  round  him,  whence  men  held  back ; 
and  the  red  glow  of  the  smouldering  links  which  the  execu- 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  283 

tioners  had  cast  on  the  ground  at  his  feet,  shone  upwards 
on  his  swollen  lips  and  starting  eyeballs.  As  I  looked,  the 
body  seemed  to  writhe  in  its  bonds ;  but  it  was  only  the 
wind  swayed  it.  I  went  in  shuddering. 

On  the  stairs  I  met  Count  Hugo  coming  down,  and  knew 
the  moment  I  saw  him  that  there  was  something  wrong. 
He  stopped  me,  his  eyes  full  of  wrath. 

'  My  man,'  he  said  sternly,  '  I  thought  that  you  were  to 
be  trusted !  Where  have  you  been  ?  What  have  you  been 
doing  ?  Donner  !  Is  your  lady  to  be  left  at  dark  with  no 
one  to  man  this  door  ? ' 

Conscience-stricken,  I  muttered  that  I  hoped  nothing  had 
gone  amiss. 

'No,  but  something  easily  might!'  he  answered  grimly. 
'  When  I  came  here  I  found  three  as  ugly  looking  rogues 
whispering  and  peering  in  your  doorway  as  man  could  wish 
to  see  !  Yes,  Master  Martin,  and  if  I  had  not  ridden  up  at 
that  moment  I  will  not  answer  for  it,  that  they  would  not 
have  been  in !  It  is  a  pity  a  few  more  knaves  are  not  where 
that  one  is,'  he  continued  sourly,  pointing  through  the  open 
door.  '  We  could  spare  them.  But  do  you  see  and  have 
more  care  for  the  future.  Or,  mein  Gott,  I  will  take  other 
measures,  my  friend ! ' 

So  it  had  been  a  ruse  after  all !     I  went  up  sick  at  heart. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE    HOUSE    IN    THE    CHURCHYARD. 

THE  heat  which  Count  Leuchtenstein  had  thrown  into  the 
matter  surprised  me  somewhat  when  I  came  to  think  of  it, 
but  I  was  soon  to  be  more  surprised.  I  did  not  go  to  my 
lady  at  once  on  coming  in,  for  on  the  landing  the  sound  of 
voices  and  laughter  met  me,  and  I  learned  that  there  were 
still  two  or  three  young  officers  sitting  with  her  who  had 


284  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

outstayed  Count  Hugo.  I  waited  until  they  were  gone  — • 
clanking  and  jingling  down  the  stairs ;  and  then,  about  the 
hour  at  which  I  usually  went  to  take  orders  before  retiring, 
I  knocked  at  the  door. 

Commonly  one  of  the  women  opened  to  me.  To-night 
the  door  remained  closed.  I  waited,  knocked  again,  and 
then  went  in.  I  could  see  no  one,  but  the  lamps  were  flick- 
ering, and  I  saw  that  the  window  was  open. 

At  that  moment,  while  I  stood  uncertain,  she  came  in 
through  it ;  and  blinded,  I  suppose,  by  the  lights,  did  not 
see  me.  For  at  the  first  chair  she  reached  just  within  the 
window,  she  sat  down  suddenly  and  burst  into  tears ! 

'  Mein  Gott ! '  I  cried  clumsily.  I  should  have  known 
better ;  but  the  laughter  of  the  young  fellows  as  they 
trooped  down  the  stairs  was  still  in  my  ears,  and  I  was 
dumfounded. 

She  sprang  up  on  the  instant,  and  glared  at  me  through 
her  tears.  '  Who  are  —  how  dare  you  ?  How  dare  you 
come  into  the  room  without  knocking  ? '  she  cried  violently. 

'I  did  knock,  my  lady,'  I  stammered,  'asking  your 
pardon.' 

'  Then  now  go  !  Go  out,  do  you  hear  ? '  she  cried,  stamp- 
ing her  foot  with  passion.  '  I  want  nothing.  Go  ! ' 

I  turned  and  crept  towards  the  door  like  a  beaten  hound. 
But  I  was  not  to  go ;  when  my  hand  was  on  the  latch,  her 
mood  changed. 

'  No,  stay/  she  said  in  a  different  tone.  *  You  may  come 
back.  After  all,  Martin,  I  had  rather  it  was  you  than  any 
one  else.' 

She  dried  her  tears  as  she  spoke,  standing  up  very 
straight  and  proud,  and  hiding  nothing.  I  felt  a  pang  as  I 
looked  at  her.  I  had  neglected  her  of  late.  I  had  been 
thinking  more  of  others. 

*  It  is  nothing,  Martin,'  she  said  after  a  pause,  and  when 
she  had  quite  composed  her  face.  'You  need  not  be 
frightened.  All  women  cry  a  little  sometimes,  as  men 
swear,'  she  added,  smiling.  , 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  285 

'You  have  been  looking  at  that  thing  outside,'  I  said, 
grumbling. 

'  Perhaps  it  did  upset  me/  she  replied.  '  But  I  think  it 
was  that  I  felt  —  a  little  lonely.' 

That  sounded  so  strange  a  complaint  on  her  lips,  seeing 
that  the  echo  of  the  young  sparks'  laughter  was  barely 
dead  in  the  room,  that  I  stared.  But  I  took  it,  on  second 
thoughts,  to  refer  to  Fraulein  Max,  whom  she  had  kept  at 
a  distance  since  our  escape,  never  sitting  down  with  her,  or 
speaking  to  her  except  on  formal  occasions ;  and  I  said 
bluntly  — 

'  You  need  a  woman  friend,  my  lady.' 

She  looked  at  me  keenly,  and  I  fancied  her  colour  rose. 
But  she  only  answered,  '  Yes,  Martin.  But  you  see  I  have 
not  one.  I  am  alone.' 

'  And  lonely,  my  lady  ? ' 

( Sometimes,'  she  answered,  smiling  sadly. 

'  But  this  evening  ? '  I  replied,  feeling  that  there  was 
still  something  I  did  not  understand.  '  I  should  not  have 
thought  you  would  be  feeling  that  way.  I  have  not  been 
here,  but  when  I  came  in,  my  lady ' 

'Pshaw  ! '  she  answered  with  a  laugh  of  disdain.  'Those 
boys,  Martin?  They  can  laugh,  fight,  and  ride;  but  for 
the  rest,  pouf !  They  are  not  company.  However,  it  is 
bedtime,  and  you  must  go.  I  think  you  have  done  me 
good.  Good  night.  I  wish  —  I  wish  I  could  do  you  good,' 
she  added  kindly,  almost  timidly. 

To  some  extent  she  had.  I  went  away  feeling  that  mine 
was  not  the  only  trouble  in  the  world,  nor  my  loneliness 
the  only  loneliness.  She  was  a  stranger  in  a  besieged 
city,  a  woman  among  men,  exposed,  despite  her  rank,  to 
many  of  a  woman's  perils;  and  doubtless  she  had  felt 
Fraulein  Max's  defection  and  the  Waldgrave's  strange 
conduct  more  deeply  than  any  one  watching  her  daily 
bearing  would  have  supposed.  So  much  the  greater  reason 
was  there  that  I  should  do  my  duty  loyally,  and  putting 
her  first  to  whom  I  owed  so  much,  let  no  sorrow  of  my 
own  taint  my  service. 


286  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

But  God  knows  there  is  one  passion  that  defies  argu- 
ment. The  house  next  Herr  Krapp's  had  a  fascination 
for  me  which  I  could  not  resist;  and  though  I  did  not 
again  leave  my  lady  unguarded,  but  arranged  that  Steve 
should  stop  at  home  and  watch  the  door,  four  o'clock  the 
next  afternoon  saw  me  sneaking  away  in  search  of  St. 
Austin's.  Of  course  I  soon  found  it;  but  there  I  came 
to  a  check.  Round  the  churchyard  stood  a  number  of 
quiet  family  houses,  many-gabled  and  shaded  by  limes,  and 
doubtless  once  occupied  by  reverend  canons  and  preben- 
daries. But  no  one  of  these  held  such  a  position  that 
it  could  shoulder  Herr  Krapp's,  or  be  by  any  possibility 
the  house  I  wanted.  The  churchyard  lay  too  far  from  the 
street  for  that. 

I  walked  up  the  row  twice  before  I  would  admit  this ; 
but  at  last  I  made  it  certain.  Still  Herr  Krapp  must  know 
his  own  premises,  and  not  much  cast  down,  I  was  going  to 
knock  at  a  chance  door  and  put  the  question,  when  my 
eyes  fell  on  a  man  who  sat  at  work  in  the  churchyard. 
He  wore  a  mason's  apron,  and  was  busily  deepening  the 
inscription  on  a  tablet  let  into  the  church  wall.  He  seemed 
to  be  the  very  man  to  know,  and  I  went  to  him. 

'I  want  a  house  which  looks  into  the  Neu  Strasse,'  I 
said.  '  It  is  the  next  house  to  Herr  Krapp's.  Can  you 
direct  me  to  the  door  ? ' 

He  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  his  hammer  suspended. 
Then  he  pointed  to  the  farther  end  of  the  row.  *  There  is 
an  alley,'  he  said  in  a  hoarse,  croaking  voice.  4  The  door 
is  at  the  end.' 

I  thought  his  occupation  an  odd  one,  considering  the 
state  of  the  city ;  but  I  had  other  things  to  dwell  on,  and 
hastened  off  to  the  place  he  indicated.  Here,  sure  enough, 
I  found  the  mouth  of  a  very  narrow  passage  which,  start- 
ing between  the  last  house  and  a  blind  wall,  ran  in  the 
required  direction.  It  was  a  queer  place,  scarcely  wider 
than  my  shoulders,  and  with  two  turns  so  sharp  that  I 
remember  wondering  how  they  brought  their  dead  out. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  287 

In  one  part  it  wound  under  the  timbers  of  a  house ;  it 
was  dark  and  somewhat  foul,  and  altogether  so  ill-favoured 
a  path  that  I  was  glad  I  had  brought  my  arms. 

In  the  end  it  ran  into  a  small,  paved  court,  damp  but 
clean,  and  by  comparison  light.  Here  I  saw  the  door  I 
wanted  facing  me.  Above  it  the  house,  with  its  narrow 
front  of  one  window  on  each  floor,  and  every  floor  jutting 
out  a  little,  gave  a  strange  impression  of  gloomy  height. 
The  windows  were  barred  and  dusty,  the  plaster  was  mil- 
dewed, the  beams  were  dark  with  age.  Whatever  secrets, 
innocent  or  the  reverse,  lay  within,  one  thing  was  plain  — 
this  front  gave  the  lie  to  the  other. 

I  liked  the  aspect  of  things  so  little  that  it  was  with  a 
secret  tremor  I  knocked,  and  heard  the  hollow  sound  go 
echoing  through  the  house.  So  certain  did  I  feel  that 
something  was  wrong,  that  I  wondered  what  the  inmates 
would  do,  and  whether  they  would  lie  quiet  and  refuse  to 
answer,  or  show  force  and  baffle  me  that  way.  No  foreign 
windows  looked  into  the  little  court  in  which  I  stood; 
three  of  the  walls  were  blind.  The  longer  I  gazed  about 
me,  the  more  I  misdoubted  the  place. 

Yet  I  turned  to  knock  again ;  but  did  not,  being  antici- 
pated. The  door  slid  open  under  my  hand,  slowly  wide 
open,  and  brought  me  face  to  face  with  an  old  toothless 
hag,  whose  bleared  eyes  winked  at  me  like  a  bat's  in  sun- 
shine. I  was  so  surprised  both  by  her  appearance  and  the 
opening  of  the  door,  that  I  stood  tongue-tied,  staring  at  her 
and  at  the  bare,  dusty,  unswept  hall  behind  her. 

'  Who  lives  here  ? '  I  blurted  out  at  last. 

If  I  had  stopped  to  choose  my  words  I  had  done  no 
better.  She  shook  her  head  and  pointed  first  to  her  ears, 
and  then  to  her  lips.  The  woman  was  deaf  and  dumb  ! 

I  would  not  believe  it  at  the  first  blush.  I  tried  her 
again.  '  Who  lives  here,  mother  ?  '  I  cried  more  loudly. 

She  smiled  vacuously,  showing  her  toothless  gums.  And 
that  was  all. 

Still  I  tried  again,  shouting  and  making  signs  to  her  to 


288  MY  LADY  ROTHA, 

fetch  whoever  was  in  the  house.  The  sign  she  seemed  to 
understand,  for  she  shook  her  head  violently.  But  that 
helped  me  no  farther. 

All  the  time  the  door  stood  wide  open.  I  could  see  the 
hall,  and  that  it  contained  no  furniture  or  traces  of  habita- 
tion. The  woman  was  alone,  therefore  a  mere  caretaker. 
Why  should  I  not  enter  and  satisfy  myself  ? 

I  made  as  if  I  would  do  so.  But  the  moment  I  set  my 
foot  across  the  threshold  the  old  crone  began  to  mow  and 
gibber  so  horribly,  putting  herself  in  my  way,  that  I  fell 
back  cowed.  I  had  not  the  heart  to  use  force  to  her,  alone 
as  she  was,  and  in  her  duty.  Besides,  what  right  had  I 
to  thrust  myself  in  ?  I  should  be  putting  myself  in  the 
wrong  if  I  did.  I  retired. 

She  did  not  at  once  shut  the  door,  but  continued  to 
tremble  and  make  faces  at  me  awhile  as  if  she  were 
cursing  me.  Then  with  her  old  hand  pressed  to  her  side, 
she  slowly  but  with  evident  passion  clanged  the  door  home. 

I  stood  a  moment  outside,  and  then  I  retreated.  I  had 
been  driven  to  believe  Herr  Krapp.  Why  should  I  not 
believe  this  old  creature  ?  Here  was  an  empty  house,  and 
so  an  end.  And  yet  —  and  yet  I  was  puzzled. 

As  I  went  through  the  churchyard,  I  passed  my  friend 
the  mason,  and  saw  he  had  a  companion.  If  he  had  looked 
up  I  should  have  asked  him  a  question  or  two.  But  he  did 
not,  and  the  other's  back  was  towards  me.  I  walked  on. 

In  the  silent  street,  however,  three  minutes  later,  a 
sudden  thought  brought  me  to  a  stand.  An  empty  house  ? 
Was  there  not  something  odd  in  this  empty  house,  when 
quarters  were  so  scarce  in  Nuremberg,  and  even  my  lady 
had  got  lodgings  assigned  to  her  as  a  favour  and  at  a  price  ? 
The  town  swarmed  with  people  who  had  taken  refuge 
behind  its  walls.  Where  one  had  lain  two  lay  now.  Yet 
here  was  an  empty  house  ! 

In  a  twinkling  I  was  walking  briskly  towards  the  Neu 
Strasse,  determined  to  look  farther  into  the  matter.  It 
was  again  the  hour  of  evening  drill ;  the  ways  were 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  289 

crowded,  the  bells  of  the  churches  were  ringing.  Using 
some  little  care  as  I  approached  Herr  Krapp's,  I  slipped 
into  a  doorway,  which  commanded  it  from  a  distance,  and 
thence  began  to  watch  the  fatal  window. 

If  the  old  hag  had  not  lied  with  her  dumb  lips  I  should 
see  no  one ;  or  at  best  should  only  see  her. 

Half  an  hour  passed;  an  hour  passed.  Hundreds  of 
people  passed,  among  them  the  man  I  had  seen  talking 
with  the  mason  in  the  churchyard.  I  noticed  him,  because 
he  went  by  twice.  But  the  window  remained  blank.  Then 
on  a  sudden,  as  the  light  began  to  fail,  I  saw  the  Wald- 
grave  at  it. 

The  Waldgrave  ? 

'  Gott  im  Himmel ! '  I  muttered,  the  blood  rushing  to  my 
face.  What  was  the  meaning  of  this  ?  What  was  the 
magic  of  this  cursed  window  ?  First  I  had  seen  my  love 
at  it.  Then  the  Waldgrave. 

While  I  stood  thunderstruck,  he  was  gone  again,  leaving 
the  window  blank  and  black.  The  crowd  passed  below, 
chattering  thoughtlessly.  Groups  of  men  with  pikes  and 
muskets  went  by.  All  seemed  unchanged.  But  my  mind 
was  in  a  whirl.  Rage,  jealousy,  and  wonder  played  with  it, 
What  did  it  all  mean  ?  First  Marie,  then  the  Waldgrave  ! 
Marie,  whom  we  had  left  thirty  leagues  away  in  the  forest  j 
the  Waldgrave,  whom  I  had  seen  that  morning. 

I  stood  gaping  at  the  window,  as  if  it  could  speak,  and 
gradually  my  mind  regained  its  balance.  My  jealousy  died 
out,  hope  took  its  place.  I  did  not  think  so  ill  of  the 
Waldgrave  as  to  believe  that  knowing  of  Marie's  exis- 
tence he  would  hide  it  from  me,  and  for  that  reason  I 
could  not  explain  or  understand  how  he  came  to  be  in  the 
same  house  with  her.  But  it  was  undeniable  that  his  pres- 
ence there  encouraged  me.  There  must  be  some  middle 
link  between  them  ;  perhaps  some  one  controlling  both. 
And  then  T  thought  of  Tzerclas. 

The  Waldgrave  had  seen  him  in  the  town,  and  had  even 
spoken  to  him.  What  if  it  were  he  who  occupied  this 

19 


290  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

house  close  by  the  New  Gate,  with  a  convenient  secre- 
tive entrance,  and  used  it  for  his  machinations  ?  Marie 
might  well  have  fallen  into  his  hands.  She  might  be  in 
his  power  now,  behind  the  very  walls  on  which  I  gazed. 

From  that  moment  I  breathed  and  lived  only  to  see  the 
inside  of  that  house.  Nothing  else  would  satisfy  me.  I 
scanned  it  with  greedy  eyes,  its  steep  gable,  its  four  win- 
dows one  above  another,  its  carved  weather-boards.  I 
might  attack  it  on  this  side ;  or  by  way  of  the  alley  and 
door.  But  I  quickly  discarded  the  latter  idea.  Though  I 
had  seen  only  the  old  woman,  I  judged  that  there  were 
defenders  in  the  background,  and  in  the  solitude  of  the 
alley  I  might  be  easily  despatched.  It  remained  to  enter 
from  the  front,  or  by  way  of  the  roof.  I  pondered  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  I  went  across  to  Herr  Krapp's  and  knocked. 

He  opened  the  door  himself.  I  almost  pushed  my  way  in. 
'What  do  you  want,  my  friend  ? '  he  said,  recoiling  before 
me,  and  looking  somewhat  astonished. 

'  To  get  into  your  neighbour's  house,'  I  answered  bluntly. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

UNDER   THE    TILES. 

HE  had  a  light  in  his  hand,  and  he  held  it  up  to  my  face. 
'  So  ? '  he  said.  '  Is  that  what  you  would  be  at  ?  But  you 
go  fast.  It  takes  two  to  that,  Master  Steward.' 

'Yes,'  I  answered.  'I  am  the  one,  and  you  are  the  other, 
Herr  Krapp.' 

He  turned  from  me  and  closed  the  door,  and,  coming  back, 
held  the  light  again  to  my  face.  '  So  you  still  think  that  it 
was  your  lady's  woman  you  saw  at  the  window  ? ' 

'I  am  sure  of  it,'  I  answered. 

He  set  down  his  light  on  a  chair  and,  leaning  against  the 
wall,  seemed  to  consider  me.  After  a  pause, '  And  you  have 
been  to  the  house  ?  ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  291 

'  I  have  been  to  the  house  —  fruitlessly.' 

'  You  learned  nothing  ? ' 

*  Nothing.' 

'  Then  what  do  you  want  to  do  now  ? '  he  asked,  softly 
yubbing  his  chin. 

'  To  see  the  inside  of  it.' 

1  And  you  propose ? ' 

'  To  enter  it  from  yours,'  I  answered.  *  Surely  you  have 
some  dormer,  some  trap-door,  some  roof-way,  by  which  a 
bold  man  may  get  from  this  house  to  the  next  one.' 

He  shook  his  head.  'I  know  of  none,'  he  said.  'But 
that  is  not  all.  You  are  asking  a  strange  thing.  I  am  a 
peaceful  man,  and,  I  hope,  a  good  neighbour ;  and  this  which 
you  ask  me  to  do  cannot  be  called  neighbourly.  However, 
I  need  say  the  less  about  it,  because  the  thing  cannot  be 
done.' 

'  Will  you  let  me  try  ? '  I  cried. 

He  seemed  to  reflect.  In  the  end  he  made  a  strange 
answer.  '  What  time  did  you  call  at  the  house  ? '  he  said. 

'  Perhaps  an  hour  ago  —  perhaps  more.' 

'  Did  you  see  any  one  in  the  churchyard  as  you  passed  ? ' 

'Yes,'  I  said,  thinking;  'there  was  a  man  at  work  there. 
I  asked  him  the  way.' 

Herr  Krapp  nodded,  and  seemed  to  reflect  again.  '  Well,' 
he  said  at  last,  '  it  is  a  strong  thing  you  ask,  my  friend.  But 
I  have  my  own  reasons  for  suspecting  that  all  is  not  right 
next  door,  and  therefore  you  shall  have  your  way  as  far  as 
looking  round  goes.  But  I  do  not  think  that  you  will  be 
able  to  do  anything.' 

'  I  ask  no  more  than  that,'  I  said,  trembling  with  eager- 
ness. 

He  looked  at  me  again  as  he  took  up  the  light.  '  You  are 
a  big  man,'  he  said,  '  but  are  you  armed  ?  Strength  is  of 
little  avail  against  a  bullet.' 

I  showed  him  that  I  had  a  brace  of  pistols,  and  he  turned 
towards  the  stairs.  '  Dorcas  is  in  the  kitchen,'  he  said.  *  My 
sons  are  out,  and  so  are  the  lads.  Nevertheless,  I  am  not 


292  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

very  proud  of  our  errand ;  so  step  softly,  my  friend,  and  do 
not  grumble  if  you  have  your  labour  for  your  pains.' 

He  led  the  way  up  the  stairs  with  that,  and  I  followed 
him.  The  house  was  very  silent,  and  the  higher  we  as- 
cended the  more  the  silence  grew  upon  us,  until,  in  the 
empty  upper  part,  every  footfall  seemed  to  make  a  hollow 
echo,  and  every  board  that  creaked  under  our  tread  to 
whisper  that  we  were  about  a  work  of  danger.  When  we 
reached  the  uppermost  landing  of  all,  Herr  Krapp  stopped, 
and,  raising  his  light,  pointed  to  the  unceiled  rafters. 

'See,  there  is  no  way  out,'  he  said.  'And  if  you  could 
get  out,  you  could  not  get  in.' 

I  nodded  as  I  looked  round.  Clearly,  this  floor  was  not 
much  used.  In  a  corner  a  room  had  been  at  some  period 
roughly  partitioned  off;  otherwise  the  place  was  a  huge 
garret,  the  boards  covered  with  scraps  of  mortar,  the  cor- 
ners full  of  shadows  and  old  lumber  and  dense  cobwebs. 
In  the  sloping  roof  were  two  dormer  windows,  unglazed 
but  shuttered;  and,  beside  the  great  yawning  well  of 
the  staircase  by  which  we  had  ascended,  lay  a  packing-box 
and  some  straw,  and  two  or  three  old  rotting  pallets  tied 
together  with  ropes.  I  shivered  as  I  looked  round.  The 
place,  viewed  by  the  light  of  our  one  candle,  had  a  forlorn, 
depressing  aspect.  The  air  under  the  tiles  was  hot  and 
close;  the  straw  gave  out  a  musty  smell. 

I  was  glad  when  Herr  Krapp  went  to  one  of  the  win- 
dows and,  letting  down  the  bar,  opened  the  shutters.  On 
the  instant  a  draught,  which  all  but  extinguished  his 
candle,  poured  in,  and  with  it  a  dull,  persistent  noise 
unheard  before  —  the  murmur  of  the  city,  of  the  streets, 
the  voice  of  Nuremberg.  I  thrust  my  head  out  into  the 
cool  night  air,  and  rejoiced  to  see  the  lights  flickering  in 
the  streets  below,  and  the  shadowy  figures  moving  this  way 
and  that.  Above  the  opposite  houses  the  low  sky  was  red ; 
but  the  chimneys  stood  out  black  against  it,  and  in  the 
streets  it  was  dark  night. 

I  took  all  this  in,  and  then  I  turned  to  the  right  and 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  293 

looked  at  the  next  house.  I  saw  as  much  as  I  expected ; 
more,  enough  to  set  my  heart  beating.  The  dormer  win- 
dow next  to  that  from  which  I  leaned,  and  on  a  level  with 
it,  was  open ;  if  I  might  judge  from  the  stream  of  light 
which  poured  through  it,  and  was  every  now  and  then  cut 
off  as  if  by  a  moving  figure  that  passed  at  intervals  between 
the  casement  and  the  candle.  Who  or  what  this  was  I 
could  not  say.  It  might  be  Marie ;  it  might  not.  But  at 
the  mere  thought  I  leaned  out  farther,  and  greedily  meas- 
ured the  distance  between  us. 

Alas !  between  the  dormer-gable  in  which  I  stood  and 
the  one  in  the  next  house  lay  twelve  feet  of  steep  roof,  on 
which  a  cat  would  have  been  puzzled  to  stand.  Its  edge 
towards  the  street  was  guarded  by  no  gutter,  ledge,  or 
coping-stone,  but  ended  smoothly  in  a  frail,  wooden  water- 
pipe,  four  inches  square.  Below  that,  yawned  a  sheer, 
giddy  drop,  sixty  feet  to  the  pavement  of  the  street.  I 
drew  in  my  head  with  a  shiver,  and  found  Herr  Krapp  at 
my  elbow. 

'  Well,'  he  said,  '  what  do  you  see  ? ' 

'The  next  window  is  open,'  I  answered.  'How  can  I 
get  to  it  ? ' 

1  Ah ! '  he  replied  dryly,  '  I  did  not  undertake  that  you 
should/  He  took  my  place  at  the  window  and  leaned  out 
in  his  turn.  He  had  set  the  candle  in  a  corner  where  it 
was  sheltered  from  the  draught.  I  strode  to  it,  and  moved 
it  a  little  in  sheer  impatience  —  I  was  burning  to  be  at  the 
window  again.  As  I  came  back,  crunching  the  scraps  of 
mortar  underfoot,  my  eyes  fell  on  a  bit  of  old  dusty  rope 
lying  coiled  on  the  floor,  and  in  a  second  I  saw  a  way. 
When  Herr  Krapp  turned  from  the  window  he  missed  me. 

'  Hallo  ! '  he  cried.     '  Where  are  you,  my  friend  ? ' 

'  Here,'  I  answered,  from  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

As  he  advanced,  I  came  out  of  the  darkness  to  meet  him, 
staggering  under  the  bundle  of  pallets  which  I  had  seen 
lying  by  the  stair-head.  He  whistled. 

1  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  those  ? '  he  said. 


294  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

1  By  your  leave,  I  want  this  .rope,'  I  answered. 

'  What  will  you  do  with  it  ? '  he  asked  soberly.  He  was 
one  of  those  even-tempered  men  to  whom  excitement,  irri- 
tation, fear,  are  all  foreign. 

'  Make  a  loop  and  throw  it  over  the  little  pinnacle  on 
the  top  of  yonder  dormer,'  I  answered  briefly,  'and  use  it 
for  a  hand-rail.' 

'  Can  you  throw  it  over  ?  ' 

'  I  think  so.' 

'The  pinnacle  will  hold  ?  ' 

'  I  hope  so.' 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  stood  for  a  moment 
staring  at  me  as  I  unwound  the  rope  and  formed  a  noose. 
At  length :  '  But  the  noise,  my  friend  ?  '  he  said.  '  If  you 
miss  the  first  time,  and  the  second,  the  rope  falling  and 
sliding  over  the  tiles  will  give  the  alarm.' 

1  Two  cats  ran  along  the  ridge  a  while  ago,'  I  answered. 
'  Once,  and,  perhaps,  twice,  the  noise  will  be  set  down  to 
them.  The  third  time  I  must  succeed.' 

I  thought  it  likely  that  he  would  forbid  the  attempt ; 
but  he  did  not.  On  the  contrary,  he  silently  took  hold  of 
my  belt,  that  I  might  lean  out  the  farther  and  use  my  hands 
with  greater  freedom.  Against  the  window  I  placed  the 
bundle  of  pallets ;  setting  one  foot  on  them  and  the  other 
heel  on  the  pipe  outside,  I  found  I  could  whirl  the  loop 
with  some  chance  of  success. 

Still,  it  was  an  anxious  moment.  As  I  craned  over  the 
dark  street  and,  poising  myself,  fixed  my  eyes  on  the  black, 
slender  spirelet  which  surmounted  the  neighbouring  window, 
I  felt  a  shudder  more  than  once  run  through  me.  I  shrank 
from  looking  down.  At  last  I  threw :  the  rope  fell  short. 
Luckily  it  dropped  clear  of  the  window,  and  came  home 
again  against  the  wall  below  me,  and  so  made  no  noise. 
The  second  time  I  threw  with  better  heart ;  but  I  had  the 
same  fortune,  except  that  I  nearly  overbalanced  myself, 
and,  for  a  moment,  shut  my  eyes  in  terror.  The  third 
time,  letting  out  a  little  more  rope,  I  struck  the  pinnacle, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  295 

but  below  the  knob.  The  rope  fell  on  the  tiles,  and  slid 
down  them  with  some  noise,  and  for  a  full  minute  I  stood 
motionless,  half  inside  the  room  and  half  outside,  expect- 
ing each  instant  to  see  a  head  thrust  out  of  the  other  win- 
dow. But  no  one  appeared,  no  one  spoke,  though  the 
Jight  was  still  obscured  at  intervals ;  and  presently  I  took 
courage  to  make  a  fourth  attempt.  I  flung,  and  this  time 
the  rope  fell  with  a  dull  thud  on  the  tiles,  and  stopped 
there:  the  noose  was  round  the  pinnacle. 

Gently  I  drew  it  tight,  and  then,  letting  it  hang,  I  slipped 
back  into  the  room,  where  we  had  before  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  put  out  the  light.  Herr  Krapp  asked  me  in  a 
whisper  if  the  rope  was  fast. 

1  Yes,'  I  said.     '  I  must  secure  this  end  to  something.' 

He  passed  it  round  the  hinge  of  the  left-hand  shutter  and 
made  it  safe.  Then  for  a  moment  we  stood  together  in  the 
darkness. 

'  All  right  ? '  he  said. 

<  All  right,'  I  answered  hoarsely. 

The  next  moment  the  thing  was  done.  I  was  outside, 
the  rope  in  my  hands,  my  feet  on  the  bending  pipe,  the  cool 
night  air  round  my  temples — below  me,  sheer  giddiness, 
dancing  lights,  and  blackness.  For  the  moment  I  tottered. 
I  balanced  myself  where  I  stood,  and  clung  to  the  rope, 
shutting  my  eyes.  If  the  pinnacle  had  given  way  then,  I 
must  have  fallen  like  a  plummet  and  been  killed.  One 
crash  against  the  wall  below,  one  grip  at  the  rope  as  it  tore 
its  way  through  my  fingers  —  and  an  end  ! 

But  the  pinnacle  held,  and  in  a  few  seconds  I  gained  wit 
and  courage.  One  step,  then  another,  and  then  a  third, 
taken  warily,  along  the  pipe,  as  I  have  seen  rope-walkers 
take  them  at  Heritzburg  fair,  and  I  was  almost  within 
reach  of  my  goal.  Two  more,  and,  stooping,  I  could  touch, 
with  my  right  hand,  the  tiles  of  the  little  gable,  while  my 
left,  raised  above  my  head,  still  clutched  the  rope. 

Then  came  an  anxious  moment.  I  had  to  pass  under  the 
rope,  which  was  between  me  and  the  street,  and  between 


296  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

me  and  the  window  also  —  the  window,  my  goal.  I  did  it; 
but  in  my  new  position  I  found  a  new  difficulty,  and  a  grim 
one,  confronting  me.  Standing  outside  the  rope  now,  with 
my  right  hand  clinging  to  it,  I  could  not,  Avith  all  my 
stretching,  reach  with  my  other  hand  any  part  of  the 
window,  or  anything  of  which  I  could  get  a  firm  grip.  The 
smooth  tiles  and  crumbling  mortar  of  the  little  gable  gave 
no  hold,  while  the  rope,  my  grip  on  which  I  dared  not  for 
my  life  relax,  prevented  me  stooping  sufficiently  to  reach 
the  sill  or  the  window-case. 

It  was  a  horrible  position.  I  stood  still,  sweating,  trem- 
bling, and  felt  the  wooden  pipe  bend  and  yield  under  me. 
Behind  me,  the  depth,  the  street,  yawned  for  me ;  before 
me,  the  black  roof,  shutting  off  the  sky.  My  head  reeled, 
my  fingers  closed  on  the  ropes  like  claws ;  for  a  second  I 
shut  my  eyes,  and  thought  I  was  falling.  In  that  moment 
I  forgot  Marie  —  I  forgot  everything,  except  the  pavement 
below,  the  cruel  stones,  the  depth  ;  I  would  have  given  all, 
coward  that  I  was,  to  be  back  in  Herr  Krapp's  room. 

Then  the  fit  passed,  and  I  stood,  thinking.  To  take  my 
hand  from  the  rope  would  be  to  fall  —  to  die.  But  could  I 
lower  the  rope  so  that,  still  holding  it,  I  could  reach  the 
sill,  or  the  hinges,  or  some  part  of  the  window-case  that 
would  furnish  a  grip  ?  I  could  think  of  only  one  way,  and 
that  a  dangerous  one ;  but  I  had  no  choice,  nor  any  time  to 
lose,  if  I  would  keep  my  head.  I  drew  out  my  knife,  and, 
leaning  forward  on  the  rope,  with  one  knee  on  the  tiles,  I 
began  to  sever  the  cord  as  far  away  to  my  right  as  I  could 
reach.  This  was  to  cut  off  my  retreat  —  my  connection 
with  the  window  I  had  left;  but  I  dared  not  let  myself 
think  much  of  that  or  of  anything.  I  hacked  away  in  a 
frenzy,  and  in  a  twinkling  the  rope  flew  apart,  and  I  slipped 
forward  on  the  tiles,  clutching  the  piece  that  remained  to 
me  in  a  grasp  of  iron. 

So  far,  good !  I  was  trembling  all  over,  but  I  was  safe, 
and  I  lost  not  a  moment  in  passing  the  loose  end  twice 
round  the  fingers  of  my  right  hand.  This  done,  only  one 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  297 

thing  remained  to  be  done  —  only  one  thing :  to  lean  over 
the  abyss,  trusting  all  my  weight  to  the  frail  cord,  and  to 
grope  for  the  sill.  Only  that !  Well,  I  did  it.  My  hair 
stood  up  straight  as  the  pinnacle  groaned  and  bent  under 
my  weight ;  my  eyes  must  have  been  astare  with  terror ; 
all  my  flesh  crept.  I  clung  to  the  face  of  the  gable  like  a 
fly,  but  I  did  it !  I  reached  the  sill,  clutched  it,  loosed  the 
rope,  and  in  a  moment  was  lying  on  my  breast,  half  in  and 
half  out  of  the  window  —  safe  ! 

I  do  not  know  how  long  I  hung  there,  recovering  my 
breath  and  strength,  but  I  suppose  only  a  minute  or  two, 
though  it  seemed  to  me  an  hour.  A  while  before  I  should 
have  thought  such  a  position,  without  foothold,  above  the 
dizzy  street,  perilous  enough.  Now  it  seemed  to  be  safety. 
Nevertheless,  as  I  grew  cooler  I  began  to  think  of  getting 
in,  of  whom  I  should  find  there,  of  the  issue  of  the  attempt. 
And  presently,  lifting  one  leg  over  the  sill,  I  stretched  out 
a  hand  and  drew  aside  a  scanty  curtain  which  hid  the  room 
from  view.  It  was  this  curtain  that,  rising  and  falling  with 
the  draught,  had  led  me  to  picture  a  figure  moving  to  and 
fro. 

There  was  no  one  to  be  seen,  and  for  a  moment  I  fancied 
that  the  room  was  empty.  The  light  was  on  the  other  side, 
and  my  act  disclosed  nothing  but  a  dusky  corner  under  a 
sloping  roof.  The  next  instant,  however,  a  harsh  voice, 
which  shook  the  rafters,  cried,  with  an  oath  — 

<  What  is  that  ?  ' 

I  let  the  curtain  fall  and,  as  softly  as  I  could,  scrambled 
over  the  sill.  My  courage  came  back  in  face  of  a  danger 
more  familiar ;  my  hand  grew  steady.  As  I  sat  on  the  sill, 
I  drew  out  a  pistol ;  but  I  dared  not  cock  it. 

'  Speak,  or  I  shoot ! '  cried  the  same  voice.  '  One,  two  ! 
Was  it  the  wind  —  Himmel  —  or  one  of  those  cats  ? ' 

I  remained  motionless.  The  speaker,  whose  voice  I 
seemed  to  know,  was  clearly  uncertain  and  a  little  sleepy. 
I  hoped  that  he  would  not  rouse  the  house  and  waste  a 
shot  on  no  better  evidence ;  and  I  sat  still  in  the  smallest 


298  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

compass  into  which  I  could  draw  myself.  I  could  see  the 
light  through  the  curtain,  a  makeshift  thing  of  thin  stuff, 
unbleached  —  and  I  tried  to  discern  his  figure,  but  in  vain. 
At  last  I  heard  him  sink  back,  grumbling  uneasily. 

I  waited  a  few  minutes,  until  his  breathing  became  more 
regular,  and  then,  with  a  cautious  hand,  I  once  more  drew 
the  curtain  aside.  As  I  had  judged,  the  light  stood  on  the 
floor,  by  the  end  of  the  pallet.  On  the  pallet,  his  head 
uneasily  pillowed  on  his  arm,  while  the  other  hand  almost 
touched  the  butt  of  a  pistol  which  lay  beside  the  candle, 
sprawled  the  man  who  had  spoken  —  a  swarthy,  reckless- 
looking  fellow,  still  in  his  boots  and  dressed.  His  attitude 
as  he  slept,  alone  in  this  quiet  room,  no  less  than  the  pres- 
ence of  the  light  and  pistol,  spoke  of  danger  and  suspicion. 
But  I  did  not  need  the  one  sign  or  the  other  to  warn  me 
that  my  hopes  and  fears  were  alike  realized.  The  man  was 
Ludwig ! 

I  dropped  the  curtain  again,  and  sat  thinking.  I  could 
not  hope  to  overcome  such  a  man  without  a  struggle  and 
noise  that  must  alarm  the  house ;  and  yet  I  must  pass  him, 
if  I  would  do  any  good.  My  only  course  seemed  to  be  to 
slip  by  him  by  stealth,  open  the  door  in  the  same  manner, 
and  gain  the  stairs.  After  that  the  house  would  be  open  to 
me,  and  it  would  go  hard  with  any  one  who  came  between 
me  and  Marie.  I  did  not  doubt  now  that  she  was  there. 

I  waited  until  his  more  regular  breathing  seemed  to  show 
that  he  slept,  and  then,  after  softly  cocking  my  pistol,  I  set 
my  feet  to  the  floor,  and  began  to  cross  it.  Unluckily  my 
nerves  were  still  ajar  with  my  roof-work.  At  the  third 
step  a  board  creaked  under  me ;  at  the  same  moment  I 
caught  a  glimpse  of  a  huge,  dark  figure  at  my  elbow,  and 
though  this  was  only  my  shadow,  cast  on  the  sloping  roof 
by  the  candle,  I  sprang  aside  in  a  fright.  The  noise  was 
enough  to  awaken  the  sleeper.  As  my  eyes  came  back  to 
him  he  opened  his  and  saw  me,  and,  raising  himself,  in  a 
trice  groped  for  his  pistol.  He  could  not  on  the  instant 
find  it,  however,  and  I  had  time  to  cover  him  with  mine. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  299 

'  Have  done ! '  I  hissed.  '  Be  still,  or  you  are  a  dead 
man  ! ' 

'  Martin  Schwartz  ! '  he  cried,  with  a  frightful  oath. 

'  Yes,'  I  rejoined  ;  '  and  mark  me,  if  you  raise  a  finger,  I 
fire.' 

He  glared  at  me,  and  so  we  stood  a  moment.  Then  I 
said,  'Push  that  pistol  to  me  with  your  foot.  Don't  put 
out  your  hand,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you.' 

He  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  his  face  distorted  with 
rage,  as  if  he  were  minded  to  disobey  at  all  risks ;  then  he 
drew  up  his  foot  sullenly  and  set  it  against  the  pistol.  I 
stepped  back  a  pace  and  for  an  instant  took  my  eyes  from 
his  —  intending  to  snatch  up  the  firearm  as  soon  as  it  was 
out  of  his  reach.  In  that  instant  he  dashed  out  the  light 
with  his  foot ;  I  heard  him  spring  up  —  and  we  were  in 
darkness. 

The  surprise  was  complete,  and  I  did  not  fire ;  but  I  had 
the  presence  of  mind,  believing  that  he  had  secured  his 
pistol,  to  change  my  position  —  almost  as  quickly  as  he 
changed  his.  However,  he  did  not  fire  ;  and  so  there  we 
were  in  the  pitchy  darkness  of  the  room,  both  armed, 
and  neither  knowing  where  the  other  stood. 

I  felt  every  nerve  in  my  body  tingle ;  but  with  rage,  not 
fear.  I  dared  not  change  my  position  again,  lest  a  creak- 
ing board  should  betray  me,  now  all  was  silent;  but  I 
crouched  low  in  the  darkness  with  the  pistol  in  one  hand 
and  my  knife  drawn  in  the  other,  and  listened  for  his 
breathing.  The  same  consideration  —  we  were  both  heavy 
men  —  kept  him  motionless  also;  and  I  remember  to  this 
day,  that  as  we  waited,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe  —  and 
for  my  part  each  moment  expecting  the  flash  and  roar  of  a 
shot  —  one  of  the  city  clocks  struck  slowly  and  solemnty 
ten. 

The  strokes  ceased.  In  the  room  I  could  not  hear  a 
sound,  and  I  felt  nervously  round  me  with  my  knife ;  but 
without  avail.  I  crouched  still  lower,  lower,  with  a  beat- 
ing heart.  The  curtain  obscured  the  window,  there  was  no 


300  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

moon,  no  light  showed  under  the  door.  The  darkness  was 
so  complete  that,  but  for  a  kind  of  fainter  blackness  that 
outlined  the  window,  I  could  not  have  said  in  what  part  of 
the  room  I  stood. 

Suddenly  a  sharp  loud  '  thud '  broke  the  silence.  It 
seemed  to  come  from  a  point  so  close  to  me  that  I  almost 
fired  on  that  side  before  I  could  control  my  fingers.  The 
next  moment  I  knew  that  it  was  well  I  had  not.  It  was 
Ludwig's  knife  flung  at  a  venture  —  and  now  buried,  as  I 
guessed,  an  inch  deep  in  the  door  —  which  had  made  the 
noise.  Still,  the  action  gave  me  a  sort  of  inkling  where 
he  was,  and,  noiselessly  facing  round  a  trifle,  I  raised  my 
pistol,  and  waited  for  some  movement  that  might  direct 
my  aim. 

I  feared  that  he  had  a  second  knife;  I  hoped  that  in 
drawing  it  from  its  sheath  he  would  make  some  noise. 
But  all  was  still.  Sharpen  my  ears  as  I  might,  I  could 
hear  nothing ;  strain  my  eyes  as  I  might,  I  could  see  no 
shadow,  no  bulk  in  the  darkness.  A  silence  as  of  death 
prevailed.  I  could  scarcely  believe  that  he  was  still  in  the 
room.  My  courage,  hot  and  fierce  at  first,  began  to  wane 
under  the  trial.  I  felt  the  point  of  his  knife  already  in  my 
back;  I  winced  and  longed  to  be  sheltered  by  the  wall, 
yet  dared  not  move  to  go  to  it.  In  another  minute  I  think 
I  should  have  fired  at  a  sheer  venture,  rather  than  bear  the 
strain  longer ;  but  at  last  a  sound  broke  on  my  ear.  The 
sound  was  not  in  the  room,  but  in  the  house  below.  Some 
one  was  coming  up  the  stairs. 

The  step  reached  a  landing,  and  I  heard  it  pause ;  a 
stumble,  and  it  came  on  again  up  the  next  flight.  Another 
pause,  this  time  a  longer  one.  Then  it  mounted  again, 
and  gradually  a  faint  line  of  light  shone  under  the  door.  I 
felt  my  breath  come  quickly.  One  glance  at  the  door, 
which  was  near  me  on  the  right  hand,  and  I  peered  away 
again,  balancing  the  pistol  in  my  hand.  If  Ludwig  cried 
out  or  spoke,  I  would  fire  in  the  direction  of  the  voice. 
Between  two  foes  I  was  growing  desperate. 


Before  I  could  recover  myself  a  pair  of  strong  arms  closed 
round  mine  and  bound  them  to  my  sides. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  301 

The  step  came  on  and  stopped  at  the  door ;  still  Ludwig 
held  his  peace.  The  new-comer  rapped;  not  loudly,  or  I 
think  I  should  have  started  and  betrayed  myself  —  to 
such  a  point  were  my  feelings  wound  up  —  but  softly  and 
timidly.  I  set  my  teeth  together  and  grasped  my  knife. 
Ludwig  on  his  part  kept  silence;  the  person  outside,  get- 
ting no  answer,  knocked  again,  and  yet  again,  each  time 
more  loudly.  Still  no  answer.  Then  I  heard  a  hand  touch 
the  latch.  It  grated.  A  moment  of  suspense,  and  a  flood 
of  light  burst  in  —  close  to  me  on  my  right  hand  —  dazzling 
me.  I  looked  round  quickly,  in  fear ;  and  there,  in  the 
doorway,  holding  a  taper  in  her  hand,  I  saw  Marie  —  Marie 
Wort! 

While  I  stood  open-mouthed,  gazing,  she  saw  me,  the 
light  falling  on  me.  Her  lips  opened,  her  breast  heaved,  I 
think  she  must  have  seen  my  danger ;  but  if  so  the  shriek 
she  uttered  came  too  late  to  save  me.  I  heard  it,  but  even 
as  I  heard  it  a  sudden  blow  in  the  back  hurled  me  gasping 
to  my  knees  at  her  feet.  Before  I  could  recover  myself  a 
pair  of  strong  arms  closed  round  mine  and  bound  them  to 
my  sides.  Breathless  and  taken  at  advantage  I  made  a 
struggle  to  rise ;  but  I  heaved  and  strained  without  avail. 
In  a  moment  my  hands  were  tied,  and  I  lay  helpless  and  a 
prisoner. 

After  that  I  was  conscious  only  of  a  tumult  round  me ; 
of  a  woman  shrieking,  of  loud  trampling,  and  lights  and 
faces,  among  these  Tzerclas'  dark  countenance,  with  a  look 
of  fiendish  pleasure  on  it.  Even  these  things  I  only  noted 
dully.  In  the  middle  of  all  I  was  wool-gathering.  I  sup- 
pose I  was  taken  downstairs,  but  I  remember  nothing  of  it; 
and  in  effect  I  took  little  note  of  anything  until,  my  breath 
coming  back  to  me,  I  found  myself  being  borne  through  a 
doorway  —  on  the  ground  floor,  I  think — into  a  lighted 
room.  A  man  held  me  by  either  arm,  and  there  were  three 
other  men  in  the  room. 


302  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

IN    THE    HOUSE   BY    ST.    AUSTIN^. 

Two  of  these  men  sat  facing  one  another  at  a  great  table 
covered  with  papers.  As  I  entered  they  turned  their  faces 
to  me,  and  on  the  instant  one  sprang  to  his  feet  with  an 
exclamation  of  rage  that  made  the  roof  ring. 

'  General ! '  he  cried  passionately,  '  what  —  what  devil's 
trick  is  this  ?  Why  have  you  brought  that  man  here  ? ' 

'  Why  ? '  Tzerclas  answered  easily,  insolently.  '  Does  he 
know  you  ? '  He  had  come  in  just  before  us.  He  smiled ; 
the  man's  excitement  seemed  to  amuse  him. 

'  By ,  he  does ! '  the  other  exclaimed  through  his 

teeth.  '  Are  you  mad  ? ' 

'  I  think  not,'  the  general  answered,  still  smiling.  '  You 
will  understand  in  a  minute.  But  his  business  can  wait. 
First '  —  he  took  up  a  paper  and  scanned  it  carefully  — '  let 
us  complete  this  list  of ' 

*  No  ! '  the  stranger  replied  impetuously.  And  he  dashed 
the  paper  back  on  the  table  and  looked  from  one  to  another 
like  a  wild  beast  in  a  trap.  He  was  a  tall,  very  thin,  hawk- 
nosed  man,  whom  I  had  seen  once  at  my  lady's  —  the  com- 
mander of  a  Saxon  regiment  in  the  city's  service,  with  the 
name  of  a  reckless  soldier.  <  No  ! '  he  repeated,  scowling, 
until  his  brows  nearly  met  his  moustachios.  'Not  another 
gun,  not  another  measurement  will  I  give,  until  I  know 
where  I  stand !  And  whether  you  are  the  man  I  think 
you,  general,  or  the  blackest  double-dyed  liar  that  ever  did 
Satan's  work ! ' 

The  general  laughed  grimly  —  the  laugh  that  always 
chilled  my  blood.  '  Gently,  gently,'  he  said.  '  If  you  must 
know,  I  have  brought  him  into  this  room,  in  the  first  place, 
because  it  is  convenient,  and  in  the  second,  because ' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  303 

'  Well  ? '  Neumann  snarled,  with  an  ugly  gleam  in  his 
eyes. 

'  Because  dead  men  tell  no  tales,'  Tzerclas  continued 
quietly.  '  And  our  friend  here  is  a  dead  man.  Now,  do 
you  see  ?  I  answer  for  it,  you  run  no  risk.' 

'Himmel!'  the  other  exclaimed;  in  a  different  tone, 
however.  '  But  in  that  case,  why  bring  him  here  at  all  ? 
Why  not  despatch  him  upstairs  ? ' 

'  Because  he  knows  one  or  two  things  which  I  wish  to 
know,'  the  general  answered,  looking  at  me  curiously. 
'  And  he  is  going  to  make  us  as  wise  as  himself.  He  has 
been  drilling  in  the  south-east  bastion  by  the  orchard,  you 
see,  and  knows  what  guns  are  mounted  there.' 

'  Cannot  you  get  them  from  the  fool  in  the  other  room  ? ' 
Neumann  grunted. 

1  He  will  tell  nothing.' 

'  Then  why  do  you  have  him  hanging  about  here  day 
after  day,  risking  everything  ?  The  man  is  mad.' 

'  Because,  my  dear  colonel,  I  have  a  use  for  him  too,' 
Tzerclas  replied.  Then  he  turned  to  me.  *  Listen,  knave,' 
he  said  harshly.  'Do  you  understand  what  I  have  been 
saying  ? ' 

I  did,  and  I  was  desperate.  I  remembered  what  I  had 
done  to  him,  how  we  had  outwitted,  tricked,  and  bound 
him ;  and  now  that  I  was  in  his  power  I  knew  what  I  had 
to  expect;  that  nothing  I  could  say  would  avail  me.  I 
looked  him  in  the  face.  *  Yes,'  I  said. 

'  You  had  the  laugh  on  your  side  the  last  time  we  met,' 
he  smiled.  '  Now  it  is  my  turn.' 

'  So  it  seems,'  I  answered  stolidly. 

I  think  it  annoyed  him  to  see  me  so  little  moved.  But 
he  hid  the  feeling.  '  What  guns  are  in  the  orchard  bas- 
tion ? '  he  asked. 

I  laughed.  '  You  should  have  asked  me  that,'  I  said, 
'before  you  told  me  what  you  were  going  to  do  with  me. 
The  dead  tell  no  tales,  general.' 

'  You  fool ! '  he  replied.     'Do  you  think  that  death  is  the 


304  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

worst  you  have  to  fear  ?  Look  round  you  !  Do  you  see 
these  windows  ?  They  are  boarded  up.  Do  you  see  the 
door  ?  It  is  guarded.  The  house  ?  The  walls  are  thick, 
and  we  have  gags.  Answer  me,  then,  and  quickly,  or  I 
will  find  the  way  to  make  you.  What  guns  are  in  the 
orchard  bastion?' 

He  took  up  a  paper  with  the  last  word  and  looked  at  me 
over  it,  waiting  for  my  answer.  For  a  moment  not  a  sound 
broke  the  silence  of  the  room.  The  other  men  stood  all  at 
gaze,  watching  me,  Neumann  with  a  scowl  on  his  face. 
The  lights  in  the  room  burned  high,  but  the  frowning  masks 
of  boards  that  hid  the  windows,  the  litter  of  papers  on  the 
table,  the  grimy  floor,  the  cloaks  and  arms  cast  down  on  it 
in  a  medley  —  all  these  marks  of  haste  and  secrecy  gave 
a  strange  and  lowering  look  to  the  chamber,  despite  its 
brightness.  My  heart  beat  wildly  like  a  bird  in  a  man's 
hand.  I  feared  horribly.  But  I  hid  my  fear ;  and  suddenly 
I  had  a  thought. 

'  You  have  forgotten  one  thing,'  I  said. 

They  started.     It  was  not  the  answer  they  expected. 

'  What  ?  '  Tzerclas  asked  curtly,  in  a  tone  that  boded  ill 
for  me  —  if  worse  were  possible. 

'  To  ask  how  I  came  into  the  house.' 

The  general  looked  death  at  Ludwig.  'What  is  this, 
knave  ?  '  he  thundered.  '  You  told  me  that  he  came  in  by 
the  window  ? ' 

'He  did,  general,'  Ludwig  answered,  shrugging  his 
shoulders. 

'  Yes,  from  the  next  house,'  I  said  coolly.  '  Where  my 
friends  are  now  waiting  for  me.' 

'  Which  house  ?  '  Tzerclas  demanded. 

'  Herr  Krapp's.' 

I  was  completely  in  their  hands.  But  they  knew,  and  I 
knew,  that  their  lives  were  scarcely  more  secure  than  mine  ; 
that,  given  a  word,  a  sign,  a  traitor  among  them  —  and  they 
were  all  traitors,  more  or  less  —  all  their  boarded  windows 
and  locked  doors  would  avail  them  not  ten  minutes  against 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  305 

the  frenzied  mob.  That  thought  blanched  more  than  one 
cheek  while  I  spoke  ;  made  more  than  one  listen  fearfully 
and  cast  eyes  at  the  door  ;  so  that  I  wondered  no  longer, 
seeing  their  grisly  faces,  why  the  room,  in  spite  of  its 
brightness,  had  that  strange  and  sombre  look.  Treachery, 
fear,  suspicion,  all  lurked  under  the  lights. 

Tzerclas  alone  was  unmoved ;  perhaps  because  he  had 
something  less  to  fear  than  the  faithless  Neumann.  '  Herr 
Krapp's  ?  '  he  said  scornfully.  '  Is  that  all  ?  I  will 
answer  for  that  house  myself.  I  have  a  man  watching  it, 
and  if  danger  threatens  from  that  direction,  we  shall  know 
it  in  good  time.  He  marks  all  who  go  in  or  out.' 

'You  can  trust  him?'  Neumann  muttered,  wiping  his 
brow. 

'  I  am  trusting  him,'  the  general  answered  dryly.  '  And 
I  am  not  often  deceived.  This  man  and  the  puling  girl  up- 
stairs tricked  me  once ;  but  they  will  not  do  so  again. 
Now,  sirrah ! '  and  he  turned  to  me  afresh,  a  cruel  gleam  in 
his  eyes.  '  That  bird  will  not  fly.  To  business.  Will  you 
tell  me  how  many  guns  are  in  the  orchard  bastion  ? ' 

'  No  ! '  I  cried.     I  was  desperate  now. 

« You  will  not  ? ' 

'No!' 

'  You  talk  bravely,'  he  answered.  '  But  I  have  known 
men  talk  as  bravely,  and  whimper  and  tremble  like  flogged 
children  live  minutes  later.  Ludwig  —  ah,  there  is  no  fire. 
Get  a  bit  of  thin  whip-cord,  and  twist  it  round  his  head  with 
your  knife-handle.  But  first,'  he  continued,  devouring  me 
with  his  hard,  smiling  eyes,  'call  in  Taddeo.  You  will 
need  another  man  to  handle  him  neatly.' 

At  the  word  my  blood  ran  cold  with  horror,  and  then 
burning  hot.  My  gorge  rose ;  I  set  my  teeth  and  felt  all 
my  limbs  swell.  There  was  a  mist  of  blood  before  my  eyes, 
as  if  the  cord  were  already  tight  and  my  brain  bursting.  I 
heaved  in  my  bonds  and  heard  them  crack  and  crack.  But, 
alas !  they  held. 

'Try  again  ! '  he  said,  sneering  at  me. 

20 


306  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

1  You  fiend  ! '  I  burst  out  in  a  fury.  <  But  I  defy  you. 
Do  your  worst,  I  will  balk  you  yet ! ' 

He  looked  at  me  hard.  Then  he  smiled.  '  Ah ! '  he  said. 
'  So  you  think  you  will  beat  me.  Well,  you  are  an  obstinate 
knave,  I  know ;  and  I  have  not  much  time  to  spare.  Yet  I 
shall  beat  you.  Ludwig,'  he  continued,  raising  his  voice, 
though  his  smiling  eyes  did  not  leave  me.  'Is  Taddeo 
there  ? ' 

'  He  is  coming,  general.' 

'  Then  bid  him  fetch  the  girl  down !  Yes,  Master 
Martin/  he  continued  with  a  ruthless  look,  'we  will  see. 
I  have  a  little  account  against  her  too.  Do  not  think  that 
I  have  kept  her  all  this  time  for  nothing.  We  will  put  the 
cord  not  round  your  head  —  you  are  a  stubborn  fool,  I 
know  —  but  round  hers,  my  friend.  Round  her  pretty 
little  brow.  We  will  see  if  that  will  loosen  your  tongue.' 

The  room  reeled  before  my  eyes,  the  lights  danced,  the 
men's  faces,  some  agrin,  some  darkly  watchful,  seemed  to 
be  looking  at  me  through  a  mist  that  dimmed  everything. 
I  cried  out  wild  oaths,  scarcely  knowing  what  I  said,  that 
he  would  not,  that  he  dared  not. 

He  laughed.  '  You  think  not,  Master  Martin  ? '  he  said. 
'  Wait  until  the  slut  comes.  Ludwig  has  a  way  of  singeing 
their  hands  with  a  lamp  —  that  will  afford  you,  I  think,  the 
last  amusement  you  will  ever  enjoy  ! ' 

I  knew  that  he  spoke  truly,  and  that  he  and  his  like  had 
done  things  as  horrible,  as  barbarous,  a  hundred  times  in 
the  course  of  this  cursed  war  !  I  knew  that  I  had  nothing 
to  expect  from  their  pity  or  their  scruples.  And  the  frenzy 
of  passion,  which  for  a  moment  had  almost  choked  me,  died 
down  on  a  sudden,  leaving  me  cold  as  the  coldest  there 
and  possessed  by  one  thought  only,  one  hope,  one  aim  — 
to  get  my  hands  free  for  a  moment  and  kill  this  man. 
The  boarded  windows,  the  guarded  doors,  the  stern  faces 
round  me,  the  silence  of  the  gloomy  house  all  forbade  hope ; 
but  revenge  remained.  Rather  than  Marie  should  suffer, 
rather  than  that  childish  frame  should  be  racked  by  their 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  307 

cruel  arts,  I  would  tell  all,  everything  they  wanted.  But  if 
by  any  trick  or  chance  I  went  afterwards  free  for  so  much 
as  a  second,  I  would  choke  him  with  my  naked  hands  ! 

I  waited,  looking  at  the  door,  my  mind  made  up.  The 
moments  passed  like  lead.  So  apparently  thought  some 
one  else,  for  suddenly  on  the  silence  came  an  interruption. 
( Is  this  business  going  to  last  all  night  ?  '  Neumann  burst 
out  impatiently.  '  Hang  the  man  out  of  hand,  if  he  is  to  be 
hanged ! ' 

1  My  good  friend,  revenge  is  sweet,'  Tzerclas  answered, 
with  an  ugly  smile.  '  These  two  fooled  me  a  while  ago ; 
and  I  have  no  mind  to  be  fooled  with  impunity.  But  it 
will  not  take  long.  We  will  singe  her  a  little  for  his 
pleasure  —  he  will  like  to  hear  her  sing  —  and  then  we  will 
hang  him  for  her  pleasure.  After  which ' 

'  Do  what  you  like ! '  Neumann  burst  out,  interrupting 
him  wrathfully.  '  Only  be  quick  about  it.  If  the  girl  is 
here ' 

'  She  is  coming.     She  is  coming  now/  Tzerclas  answered. 

I  had  gone  through  so  much  that  my  feelings  were 
blunted.  I  could  no  longer  suffer  keenly,  and  I  waited  for 
her  appearance  with  a  composure  that  now  surprises  me. 
The  door  opened,  Taddeo  came  in.  I  looked  beyond  him, 
but  saw  no  one  else ;  then  I  looked  at  him.  The  ruffian 
was  trembling.  His  face  was  pale.  He  stammered 
something. 

Tzerclas  made  but  one  stride  to  him.  '  Dolt ! '  he  cried, 
'  what  is  it  ? ' 

'  She  is  gone  ! '  the  man  stuttered. 

'  Gone  ? ' 

'  Yes,  your  excellency.' 

For  an  instant  Tzerclas  stood  glaring  at  him.  Then  like 
lightning  his  hand  went  up  and  his  pistol-butt  crashed 
down  on  the  man's  temple.  The  wretch  threw  up  his 
arms  and  fell  as  if  a  thunderbolt  had  struck  him  —  sense- 
less, or  lifeless  ;  no  one  asked  which,  for  his  assailant,  like 
a  beast  half-sated,  stood  glaring  round  for  a  second  victim. 


308  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

But  Ludwig,  who  had  come  down  with  Taddeo,  knew  his 
master,  and  kept  his  distance  by  the  door.  The  other  two 
men  shrank  behind  me. 

'  Well  ? '  Tzerclas  cried,  as  soon  as  passion  allowed  him 
to  speak.  '  Are  you  dumb  ?  Have  you  lost  your  tongue  ? 
What  is  it  that  liar  meant  ?  ' 

'  The  girl  is  away,'  Ludwig  muttered.  '  She  got  out 
through  a  window.' 

'  Through  what  window  ? ' 

'The  window  of  my  room,  under  the  roof,'  the  man 
answered  sullenly.  'The  one — through  which  that  fool 
came  in,'  he  continued,  nodding  towards  me. 

'  Ah ! '  the  general  cried,  his  voice  hissing  with  rage. 
'  Well,  we  have  still  got  him.  How  did  she  go  ? ' 

'  Heaven  knows,  unless  she  had  wings,'  Ludwig  answered. 
'  The  window  is  at  the  top  of  the  house,  and  there  is  neither 
rope  nor  ladder  there,  nor  foothold  for  anything  but  a  bird. 
She  is  gone,  however.' 

The  general  ground  his  teeth  together.  <  There  is  some 
cursed  treachery  here  !'  he  said. 

The  Saxon  colonel  laughed  in  scorn.  <  Maybe ! '  he 
retorted  in  a  mocking  tone,  '  but  I  will  answer  for  it,  that 
there  is  something  else,  and  that  is  cursed  mismanagement ! 
I  tell  you  what  it  is,  General  Tzerclas,'  he  continued 
fiercely.  'With  your  private  revenges,  and  your  public 
plots,  and  your  tame  cats  who  are  mad,  and  your  wild  cats 
who  have  wings  —  you  think  yourself  a  very  clever  man. 
But  Heaven  help  those  who  trust  you  ! ' 

The  general's  eyes  sparkled.  'And  those  who  cross 
me  ? '  he  cried  in  a  voice  that  made  his  men  tremble. 
<  But  there,  sir,  what  ground  of  complaint  have  you  ?  The 
girl  never  saw  you.' 

'No,  but  that  man  has  seen  me!'  Neumann  retorted, 
pointing  to  me.  '  And  who  knows  how  soon  she  may  be 
back  with  a  regiment  at  her  heels  ?  Then  it  will  be  "  Save 
yourselves  ! "  and  he  will  be  left  to  hang  me.' 

The  general  laughed  without  mirth.     '  Have  no  fear ! '  he 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  309 

said.  ( We  will  hang  him  out  of  hand.  Ludwig,  while  we 
collect  these  papers,  take  the  other  two  men  and  string  him 
up  in  the  hall.  When  they  break  in  they  shall  find  some 
one  to  receive  them  ! ' 

I  had  thought  that  the  agony  of  death  was  passed ;  but  I 
suppose  that  the  news  of  Marie's  escape  had  awakened  my 
hopes  as  well  as  rekindled  my  love  of  life;  for  at  these 
words,  I  felt  my  courage  run  from  me  like  water.  I  shrank 
back  against  the  wall,  my  limbs  trembling  under  me,  my 
heart  leaping  as  if  it  would  burst  from  my  breast.  I  felt 
the  rope  already  round  my  neck,  and  when  the  men  laid 
hold  on  me,  I  cried  out,  almost  in  spite  of  myself,  that  I 
would  tell  what  guns  there  were  in  the  orchard  bastion, 
that  I  knew  other  things,  that 

'  Away  with  him ! '  Tzerclas  snarled,  stamping  his  foot 
passionately.  He  was  already  hurrying  papers  together, 
and  did  not  give  me  a  glance.  '  String  him  up,  knaves, 
and  see  this  time  that  you  obey  orders.  We  must  be  gone, 
so  pull  his  legs.' 

I  would  have  said  something  more ;  I  would  have  tried 
again.  Even  a  minute,  a  minute's  delay  meant  hope. 
But  my  voice  failed  me,  and  they  hustled  me  out.  I  am 
no  coward,  and  I  had  thought  myself  past  fear ;  but  the 
flesh  is  weak.  At  this  pinch,  when  their  hands  were  on 
me,  and  I  looked  round  desperately  and  found  no  one 
to  whom  I  could  appeal  —  while  hope  and  rescue  might  be 
so  near  and  yet  come  too  late  —  I  shrank.  Death  in  this 
vile  den  seemed  horrible.  My  knees  trembled;  I  could 
scarcely  stand. 

The  hall  into  which  they  dragged  me  was  the  same  dusty, 
desolate  place  into  which,  little  foreseeing  what  would 
happen  there,  I  had  looked  over  the  deaf  hag's  shoulder. 
Ludwig's  candle  only  half  dispersed  the  darkness  which 
reigned  in  it.  Two  of  the  men  held  me  while  he  went  to 
and  fro  with  the  light  raised  high  above  his  head. 

'  Ha !  here  it  is  ! '  he  said  at  last.  '  I  thought  that  there 
was  a  hook.  Bring  him  here,  lads.' 


3io  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

They  forced  me,  resisting  feebly,  to  the  place.  The 
candle  stood  beside  him;  he  was  forming  a  noose.  The 
light,  which  left  all  behind  them  dark,  lit  up  the  men's 
harsh  faces;  but  I  read  no  pity  there,  no  hope,  no  relent- 
ing; and  after  a  hoarse  attempt  to  bribe  them  with 
promises  of  what  my  lady  would  give  for  my  life,  I  stood 
waiting.  I  tried  to  pray,  to  think  of  Marie,  of  my  soul  and 
the  future ;  but  my  mind  was  taken  up  with  rage  and  dread, 
with  the  wild  revolt  against  death,  and  the  rush  of  indigna- 
tion that  would  have  had  me  scream  like  a  woman ! 

On  a  sudden,  out  of  the  darkness  grew  a  fourth  face  that 
looked  at  me,  smiling.  It  was  no  more  softened  by  ruth  or 
pity  than  the  others  were ;  the  laughing  eyes  mocked  me, 
the  lip  curled  as  with  a  jest.  And  yet,  at  sight  of  it,  I 
gasped.  Hope  awoke.  I  tried  to  speak,  I  tried  to  implore 

his  help,  I  tried But  my  voice  failed  me,  no  words 

came.     The  face  was  the  Waldgrave's. 

Yet  he  nodded  as  if  I  had  spoken.  '  Yes,'  he  said,  smil- 
ing more  broadly,  'I  see,  Martin,  that  you  are  in  trouble. 
You  should  have  taken  my  advice  in  better  time.  I  told 
you  that  he  would  get  the  better  of  you.' 

Ludwig,  who  had  not  seen  him  before  he  spoke,  dropped 
the  rope,  and  stood,  stupefied,  gazing  at  him.  I  cried  out 
hoarsely  that  they  were  going  to  hang  me. 

1  No,  no,  not  as  bad  as  that  I '  he  said  lightly,  between 
jest  and  earnest.  '  But  I  gave  you  fair  warning,  you  know, 

Martin.     Oh,  he  is ' 

Waldgrave,  Waldgrave ! '  I  panted,  trying  to  get  to  him ; 
but  the  men  held  me  back.  '  They  will  hang  me !  They 
will !  It  is  no  joke.  In  God's  name,  save  me,  save  me  !  I 
saved  you  once,  and ' 

'  Chut,  chut ! '  he  replied  easily.  '  Of  course  I  will  save 
you.  I  will  go  to  the  general  and  arrange  it  now.  Don't 
be  afraid.  My  sweet  cousin  must  not  lose  her  steward. 
Why,  you  are  shaking  like  an  aspen,  man.  But  I  told  you, 

did  I  not  ?     Oh,  he  is  the Wait,  fellow,'  he  continued 

to  Ludwig,  '  until  I  come  back.     Where  is  your  master  ? ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  311 

'  Upstairs/  Ludwig  answered  sullenly,  an  ugly  gleam  in 
his  eyes. 

The  Waldgrave  turned  from  me  carelessly,  and  went 
towards  the  stairs,  which  were  at  the  end  of  the  hall. 
Ludwig,  as  he  did  so,  picked  up  the  rope  with  a  stealthy 
gesture.  I  read  his  mind,  and  called  pitifully  to  the  Wald- 
grave to  stop. 

'  They  will  hang  me  while  you  are  away/  I  cried.  '  And 
he  is  not  upstairs !  They  are  lying  to  you.  He  is  in  the 
room  on  the  left.' 

The  Waldgrave  halted  and  came  back,  his  handsome  face 
troubled.  Ludwig,  looking  as  if  he  would  strike  me,  swore 
under  his  breath. 

'  Upstairs,  your  excellency,  upstairs  ! '  he  cried.  '  You 
will  find  him  there.  Why  should  I ' 

'  Hush ! '  one  of  the  other  men  said,  and  I  felt  his  grasp 
on  my  arm  relax.  '  What  is  that,  captain  —  that  noise  ? ' 

But  Ludwig  was  intent  on  the  Waldgrave.  '  Upstairs  ! ' 
he  continued  to  cry,  waving  his  hand  in  that  direction. 
'  I  assure  you,  my  lord ' 

'  Steady ! '  the  man  who  had  cut  him  short  before  ex- 
claimed. 'They  are  at  the  door,  Ludwig.  Listen,  man, 
listen,  or  we  shall  be  taken  like  wolves  in  a  trap  ! ' 

This  time  Ludwig  condescended  to  listen,  scowling.  A 
noise  like  that  made  by  a  rat  gnawing  at  wood  could  be 
heard.  My  heart  beat  fast  and  faster.  The  man  who  had 
given  the  alarm  had  released  my  arm  altogether.  The 
other  held  me  carelessly. 

With  a  yell  which  startled  all,  I  burst  suddenly  from  him 
and  sprang  past  the  Waldgrave.  Bound  as  I  was,  I  had 
the  start  and  should  have  been  on  the  stairs  in  another 
second,  when,  with  a  crash  and  a  blinding  glare,  a  shock, 
which  loosened  the  very  foundations  of  the  house,  flung  me 
on  my  face. 

I  lay  a  moment,  gasping  for  breath,  wondering  where  I 
was  hurt.  Out  of  the  darkness  round  me  came  a  medley  of 
groans  and  shrieks.  The  air  was  full  of  choking  smoke, 


312  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

through  which  a  red  glare  presently  shone,  and  grew 
gradually  brighter.  I  could  see  little,  understand  less  of 
what  was  happening;  but  I  heard  shots  and  oaths,  and 
once  a  rush  of  charging  feet  passed  over  me. 

After  that,  growing  more  sensible,  I  tried  to  rise,  but  a 
weight  lay  on  my  legs  —  my  arms  were  still  tied  —  and  I 
sank  again.  I  took  the  fancy  then  that  the  house  was  on 
fire  and  that  I  should  be  burned  alive;  but  before  I  had 
more  than  tasted  the  horror  of  the  thought,  a  crowd  of  men 
came  round  me,  and  rough  hands  plucked  me  up. 

'  Here  is  another  of  them  ! '  a  voice  cried.  '  Have  him 
out !  To  the  churchyard  with  him  !  The  trees  will  have  a 
fine  crop ! ' 

'  Halloa !  he  is  tied  up  already  ! '  a  second  chimed  in. 

I  gazed  round  stupidly,  meeting  everywhere  vengeful 
looks  and  savage  faces. 

A  butcher,  with  his  axe  on  his  shoulder,  hauled  at  me. 
*  Bring  him  along ! '  he  shouted.  '  This  way,  friends  ! 
Hurry  him.  To  the  churchyard ! ' 

My  wits  were  still  wool-gathering,  and  I  should  have 
gone  quietly ;  but  a  man  pushed  his  way  to  the  front  and 
looked  at  me.  '  Stop !  stop ! '  he  cried  in  a  voice  of  author- 
ity. '  This  is  a  friend.  This  is  the  man  who  got  in  by  the 
roof.  Cut  the  ropes,  will  you?  See  how  his  hands  are 
-swollen.  That  is  better.  Bring  him  out  into  the  air.  He 
will  revive.' 

The  speaker  was  Herr  Krapp.  In  a  moment  a  dozen 
friendly  arms  lifted  me  up  and  carried  me  through  the 
crowd,  and  set  me  down  in  the  little  court.  The  cool  night 
air  swept  my  brow.  I  looked  up  and  saw  the  stars  shining 
in  the  quiet  heaven,  and  I  leant  against  the  wall,  sobbing 
like  a  woman. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  313 

CHAPTEK  XXX. 

THE    END    OF    THE    DAY. 

LUDWIG  was  found  dead  in  the  hall,  slain  on  the  spot  by 
the  explosion  of  the  petard  which  had  driven  in  the  door. 
His  two  comrades,  less  fortunate,  were  taken  alive,  and, 
with  the  hag  who  kept  the  house,  were  hanged  within  the 
hour  on  the  elms  in  St.  Austin's  churchyard.  The  Wald- 
grave  and  Neumann,  both  wounded,  the  former  by  the 
explosion  and  the  latter  in  his  desperate  resistance,  were 
captured  and  held  for  trial.  But  Tzerclas,  the  chief  of  all, 
arch-tempter  and  arch-traitor,  vanished  in  the  confusion  of 
the  assault,  and  made  his  escape,  no  one  knew  how.  Some 
said  that  he  went  by  way  of  a  secret  passage  known  only  to 
himself ;  some,  that  he  had  a  compact  with  the  devil,  and 
vanished  by  his  aid;  some,  that  he  had  friends  in  the 
crowd  who  sheltered  him.  For  my  part,  I  set  down  his 
disappearance  to  his  own  cool  wits  and  iron  nerves,  and 
asked  no  further  explanation. 

For  an  hour  the  little  dark  court  behind  the  ill-omened 
house  seethed  with  a  furious  mob.  No  sooner  were  one 
party  satisfied  than  another  swept  in  with  links  and 
torches  and  ransacked  the  house,  tore  down  the  panels, 
groped  through  the  cellars,  and  probed  the  chimneys ;  all 
with  so  much  rage,  and  with  gestures  so  wild  and  extrava- 
gant, that  an  indifferent  spectator  might  have  thought  them 
mad.  Nor  were  those  who  did  these  things  of  the  lowest 
class;  on  the  contrary,  they  were  mostly  burghers  and 
traders,  solid  townsfolk  and  their  apprentices,  men  who, 
with  wives  and  daughters  and  sweethearts,  could  not  sleep 
at  night  for  thoughts  of  storm  and  sack,  and  in  whom  the 
bare  idea  that  they  had  amongst  them  wretches  ready  to 
open  the  gates,  was  enough  to  kindle  every  fierce  and  cruel 
passion. 


3i4  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

I  stood  for  a  time  unnoticed,  gazing  at  the  scene  in  a  kind 
of  stupor,  which  the  noise  and  tumult  aggravated.  Little 
by  little,  however,  the  cool  air  did  its  work ;  memory  and 
reason  began  to  return,  and,  with  anxiety  awaking  in  my 
breast,  I  looked  round  for  Herr  Krapp.  Presently  I  saw 
him  coming  towards  me  with  a  leather  flask  in  his  hand. 

'Drink  some  of  this/  he  said,  looking  at  me  keenly. 
'Why  so  wild,  man?' 

'  The  girl  ?  '  I  stammered.  I  had  not  spoken  before  since 
my  release,  and  my  voice  sounded  strange  and  unnatural. 

'  She  is  safe/  he  answered,  nodding  kindly.  '  I  was  at 
my  window  when  she  swung  herself  on  to  the  roof  by  the 
rope  which  you  left  hanging.  Donner !  you  may  be  proud 
of  her !  But  she  was  distraught,  or  she  would  not  have 
tried  such  a  feat.  She  must  inevitably  have  fallen  if  I  had 
not  seen  her.  I  called  out  to  her  to  stand  still  and  hold 
fast ;  and  my  son,  who  had  come  upstairs,  ran  down  for  a 
twelve-foot  pike.  We  thrust  that  out  to  her,  and,  holding 
it,  she  tottered  along  the  pike  to  my  window,  where  I 
caught  her  skirts,  and  we  dragged  her  in  in  a  moment.' 

I  shuddered,  remembering  how  I  had  suffered,  hanging 
above  the  yawning  street.  '  I  suppose  that  it  was  she  who 
warned  you  and  sent  you  here  ?  '  I  said. 

•  No/  he  answered.  '  This  house  had  been  watched  for 
two  days,  though  I  did  not  tell  you  so.  We  had  been  sus- 
picious of  it  for  a  week  or  more,  or  I  should  not  have  helped 
you  into  a  neighbour's  house  as  I  did.  However,  all  is  well 
that  ends  well ;  and  though  we  have  not  got  that  bloodthirsty 
villain  to  hang,  we  have  stopped  his  plans  for  this  time.' 

He  was  just  proposing  that,  if  I  now  felt  able,  I  should 
return  to  my  lady's,  when  a  rush  of  people  from  the  house 
almost  carried  me  off  my  feet.  In  a  moment  we  were 
pushed  aside  and  squeezed  against  the  wall.  A  hoarse  yell, 
like  the  cry  of  a  wild  beast,  rose  from  the  crowd,  a  hundred 
hands  were  brandished  in  the  air,  weapons  appeared  as  if 
by  magic.  The  glare  of  torches,  falling  on  the  raging  sea 
of  men,  picked  out  here  and  there  a  scared  face,  a  wander- 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  315 

ing  eye  ;  but  for  the  most  part  the  mob  seemed  to  feel  only 
one  passion  —  the  thirst  for  blood. 

'  What  is  it  ? '  I  shouted  in  Herr  Krapp's  ear. 

'  The  prisoners/  he  answered.  '  They  are  bringing  them 
out.  Your  friend  the  Waldgrave,  and  the  other.  They 
will  need  a  guard.' 

And  truly  it  was  a  grim  thing  to  see  men  make  at  them, 
striking  over  the  shoulders  of  the  guard,  leaping  at  them 
wolf-like,  with  burning  eyes  and  gnashing  teeth,  striving  to 
tear  them  with  naked  hands.  Down  the  narrow  passage  to 
the  churchyard  the  soldiers  had  an  easy  task ;  but  in  the 
open  graveyard,  whither  Herr  Krapp  and  I  followed  slowly, 
the  party  were  flung  this  way  and  that,  and  tossed  to  and 
fro  —  though  they  were  strong  men,  armed, .and  numbered 
three  or  four  score  —  like  a  cork  floating  on  rapids.  Their 
way  lay  through  the  Ritter  Strasse,  and  I  went  with  them 
so  far.  Though  it  was  midnight,  the  town,  easily  roused 
from  its  feverish  sleep,  was  up  and  waking.  Scared  faces 
looked  from  windows,  from  eaves,  from  the  very  roofs. 
Men  who  had  snatched  up  their  arms  and  left  their  clothes 
peered  from  doorways.  The  roar  of  the  mob,  as  it  swayed 
through  narrow  ways,  rose  and  fell  by  turns,  now  loud 
as  the  booming  of  cavern-waves,  now  so  low  that  it  left  the 
air  quivering. 

When  it  died  away  at  last  towards  the  Burg,  I  took 
leave  of  Herr  Krapp,  and  hurried  to  my  lady's,  passing  the 
threshold  in  a  tumult  of  memories,  of  emotions,  and  thank- 
fulness. I  could  fancy  that  I  had  lived  an  age  since  I  last 
crossed  it  —  eight  hours  before.  The  house,  like  every 
other  house,  was  up.  Herr  Krapp  had  sent  the  news  of 
my  escape  before  me,  and  I  looked  forward  with  a  tremu- 
lous, foolish  expectation  that  was  not  far  from  tears  to  the 
first  words  two  women  would  say  to  me. 

But  though  men  and  women  met  me  with  hearty  greet- 
ings on  the  threshold,  on  the  stairs,  on  the  landing,  and 
Steve  clapped  me  on  the  back  until  I  coughed  again,  they 
did  not  appear.  It  was  after  midnight,  but  the  house  was 


316  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

still  lighted  as  if  the  sun  had  just  set,  and  I  went  up  to  the 
long  parlour  that  looked  on  the  street.  My  heart  beat,  and 
iny  face  grew  hot  as  I  entered ;  but  I  might  have  spared 
myself.  There  was  only  Fraulein  Max  in  the  room. 

She  came  towards  me,  blinking.  '  So  Sancho  Panza  has 
turned  knight-errant,'  she  said  with  a  sneer,  '  as  well  as 
Governor  ? ' 

I  did  not  understand  her,  and  I  asked  gently  where  my 
lady  was. 

She  laughed  in  her  gibing  way.  '  You  beg  for  a  stone 
and  expect  bread,'  she  said.  '  You  care  no  more  where  my 
lady  is  than  where  I  am  !  You  mean,  where  is  your  Roman- 
ist chit,  with  her  white  face  and  wheedling  ways.' 

I  saw  that  she  was  bursting  with  spite ;  that  Marie's  return 
and  the  stir  made  about  it  had  been  too  much  for  her  small, 
jealous  nature,  and  I  was  not  for  answering  her.  She  was 
out  of  favour ;  let  her  spit,  her  venom  would  be  gone  the 
sooner.  But  she  had  not  done  yet. 

1  Of  course  she  has  had  some  wonderful  adventures  ! '  she 
continued,  her  face  working  with  malice  and  ill-nature. 
'And  we  are  all  to  admire  her.  But  to  a  lover  does  she  not 
seem  somewhat  blandula,  vagula?  Here  to-day  and  gone 
to-morrow.  Dolus  latet  in  generalibus,  the  Countess  says' 
—  and  here  the  Dutch  girl  mimicked  my  lady,  her  eyes 
gleaming  with  scorn.  'But  dolus  latet  in  virginibus,  too, 
Master  Martin,  as  you  will  find  some  day !  Oh,  a  great 
escape,  a  heroic  escape,  —  but  from  her  friends ! ' 

'  If  you  mean  to  infer,  Fraulein '  I  said  hotly. 

'  Oh,  I  infer  nothing.  I  leave  you  to  do  that ! '  she 
replied,  smirking.  'But  pigs  go  back  to  the  dirt,  I  read. 
You  know  where  you  found  her  and  the  brat ! ' 

'I  know  where  we  should  all  be  to-day,'  I  cried,  trem- 
bling with  indignation,  'if  it  had  not  been  for  her!' 

'  Perhaps  not  worse  off  than  we  are  now,'  she  snapped. 
'However,  keep  your  eyes  shut,  if  it  pleases  you.' 

My  raised  voice  had  reached  the  Countess's  chamber,  and 
as  Fraulein  Max,  giggling  spitefully,  went  out  through  one 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  317 

door  the  other  opened  and  stood  open.  My  anger  melted 
away.  I  stood  trembling,  and  looking,  and  waiting. 

They  came  in  together,  my  lady  with  her  arm  round 
Marie,  the  two  women  I  loved  best  in  the  world.  I  have 
heard  it  said  that  evil  runs  to  evil  as  drops  of  water  to 
one  another.  But  the  saying  is  equally  true  of  good.  Little 
had  I  thought,  a  few  weeks  back,  that  my  lady  would 
come  to  treat  the  outcast  girl  from  Klink's  as  a  friend ;  nor 
I  believe  were  there  ever  two  people  less  alike,  and  yet  both 
good,  than  these  two.  But  that  one  quality  —  which  is  so 
quick  to  see  its  face  mirrored  in  another's  heart  —  had 
brought  them  close  together,  and  made  each  to  recognise 
the  other;  so  that,  as  they  came  in  to  me,  there  was  not 
a  line  of  my  lady's  figure,  not  a  curve  of  her  head,  not  a 
glance  of  her  proud  eyes,  that  was  not  in  sympathy  with 
the  girl  who  clung  to  her  —  Romanist  stranger,  low  born 
as  she  was.  I  looked  and  worshipped,  and  would  have 
changed  nothing.  I  found  the  dignity  of  the  one  as 
beautiful  as  the  dependence  of  the  other. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken.  I  had  wondered  what  they 
would  say  to  me  —  and  they  said  nothing.  But  my  lady 
put  her  into  my .  arms,  and  she  clung  to  me,  hiding  her 
face. 

The  Countess  laughed,  yet  there  were  tears  in  her  voice. 
'  Be  happy,'  she  said.  '  Child,  from  the  day  you  were  lost 
he  never  forgave  me.  Martin,  see  where  the  rope  has  cut 
her  wrist.  She  did  it  to  save  you.' 

'  And  myself ! '  Marie  whispered  on  my  breast. 

<  No ! '  my  lady  said.  '  I  will  not  have  it  so !  You  will 
spoil  both  him  and  my  love-story.  Per  tecta,  per  terram, 
you  have  sought  one  another.  You  have  gone  down  sub 
orco.  You  have  bought  one  another  back  from  death,  as 
Alcestis  bought  her  husband  Admetus.  At  the  first  it  was 
a  gold  chain  that  linked  you  together,  soon ' 

I  felt  Marie  start  in  my  arms.  She  freed  herself  gently, 
and  looked  at  my  lady  with  trouble  in  her  eyes.  '  Oh,'  she 
said,  '  I  had  forgotten  ! ' 


3i8  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  What  ? '  the  Countess  said.    '  What  have  you  forgotten  ? ' 

<  The  child ! '  Marie  replied,  clasping  her  hands.  1 1 
should  have  told  you  before ! ' 

'  You  have  had  no  time  to  tell  us  much  ! '  my  lady  an- 
swered smiling.  'And  you  are  trembling  like  an  aspen 
now.  Sit  down,  girl.  Sit  down  at  once  ! '  she  continued 
imperatively.  ' Or,  no !  You  shall  go  to  your  bed,  and  we 
will  hear  it  in  the  morning.' 

But  Marie  seemed  so  much  distressed  by  this  that  my 
lady  did  not  insist ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  girl  had  told 
us  a  tale  so  remarkable  that  consideration  of  her  fatigue 
was  swallowed  up  in  wonder. 

'It  was  the  night  I  was  lost,'  she  said;  'the  night  when 
the  alarm  was  given  on  the  hill,  and  we  rode  down  it.  I 
clung  to  my  saddle  —  it  was  all  I  could  do  —  and  remember 
only  a  dreadful  shock,  from  which  I  recovered  to  find  my- 
self lying  in  the  road,  shaken  and  bruised.  Fear  of  those 
whom  I  believed  to  be  behind  us  was  still  in  my  mind, 
and  I  rose,  giddy  and  confused,  my  one  thought  to  get  off 
the  road.  As  I  staggered  towards  the  bank,  however,  I 
stumbled  over  something.  To  my  horror  I  found  that  it 
was  a  woman.  She  was  dead  or  senseless,  but  she  had  a 
child  in  her  arms  ;  it  cried  as  I  felt  her  face.  I  dared  not 
stay,  but,  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment  —  I  could  not  move 
the  woman,  and  I  expected  our  pursuers  to  ride  down  the 
hill  each  instant  —  I  snatched  the  child  up  and  ran  into 
the  brushwood.  After  that  I  only  remember  stumbling 
blindly  on  through  bog  and  fern,  often  falling  in  my  haste, 
but  always  rising  and  pushing  on.  I  heard  cries  behind 
me,  but  they  only  spurred  me  to  greater  exertions.  At 
last  I  reached  a  little  wood,  and  there,  unable  to  go  farther, 
I  sank  down,  exhausted,  and,  I  suppose,  lost  my  senses,  for 
I  awoke,  chilled  and  aching,  in  the  first  grey  dawn.  The 
leaves  were  black  overhead,  but  the  white  birch  trunks 
round  me  glimmered  like  pale  ghosts.  Something  stirred 
in  my  arms.  I  looked  down,  and  saw  the  face  of  my  child 
—  the  child  I  found  in  the  wood  by  Vach.' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  319 

'  What ! '  the  Countess  cried,  rising  and  staring  at  her. 
'  Impossible !  Your  wits  were  straying,  girl.  It  was  some 
other  child.' 

But  Marie  shook  her  head  gently.  'No,  my  lady/  she 
said.  '  It  was  my  child.' 

'  Count  Leuchtenstein's  ? ' 

'  Yes,  if  the  child  I  found  was  his.' 

'  But  how  —  did  it  come  where  you  found  it  ? '  the  Coun- 
tess asked. 

'  1  think  that  the  woman  whom  I  left  in  the  road  was  the 
poor  creature  who  used  to  beg  at  our  house  in  the  camp/ 
Marie  answered,  hesitating  somewhat  — '  the  wife  of  the 
man  whom  General  Tzerclas  hung,  my  lady.  I  saw  her 
face  by  a  glimmer  of  light  only,  and,  at  the  moment,  I 
thought  nothing.  Afterwards  it  flashed  across  me  that 
she  was  that  woman.  If  so,  I  think  that  she  stole  the 
child  to  avenge  herself.  She  thought  that  we  were  General 
Tzerclas'  friends.' 

'  But  then  where  is  the  child  ?'  my  lady  exclaimed,  her  eyes 
shining.  I  was  excited  myself  ;  but  the  delight,  the  pleasure 
which  I  saw  in  her  face  took  me  by  surprise.  I  stared  at 
her,  thinking  that  I  had  never  seen  her  look  so  beautiful. 

-Then,  as  Marie  answered,  her  face  fell.  'I  do  not 
know/  my  girl  said.  '  After  a  time  I  found  my  way  back 
to  the  road,  but  I  had  scarcely  set  foot  on  it  when  General 
Tzerclas'  troopers  surprised  me.  I  gave  myself  up  for 
lost;  I  thought  that  he  would  kill  me.  But  he  only  gibed 
at  me,  until  I  almost  died  of  fear,  and  then  he  bade  one  of 
his  men  take  me  up  behind  him.  They  carried  me  with 
them  to  the  camp  outside  this  city,  and  three  days  ago 
brought  me  in  and  shut  me  up  in  that  house.' 

'  But  the  child  ? '  my  lady  cried.     <  What  of  it  ?  ' 

*  He  took  it  from  me/  Marie  said.  '  I  have  never  seen  it 
since,  but  I  think  that  he  has  it  in  the  camp.' 

'  Does  he  know  whose  child  it  is  ? ' 

'I  told  him/  Marie  replied.  'Otherwise  they  might 
have  let  it  die  on  the  road.  It  was  a  burden  to  them.' 


320  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

The  Countess  shuddered,  but  in  a  moment  recovered  her- 
self. ' "  While  there  is  life  there  is  hope," '  she  said. 
'Martin,  here  is  more  work  for  you.  We  will  leave  no 
stone  unturned.  Count  Leuchtenstein  must  know,  of 
course,  but  I  will  tell  him  myself.  If  we  could  get  the 
child  back  and  hand  it  safe  and  sound  to  its  father,  it 

would  be Perhaps  the  Waldgrave  may  be  able  to 

help  us  ? ' 

'  I  think  that  he  will  need  all  his  wits  to  help  himself,' 
I  said  bluntly. 

'  Why  ? '  my  lady  questioned,  looking  at  me  in  wonder. 

'Why?'  I  cried  in  astonishment.  'Have  you  heard 
nothing  about  him,  my  lady  ? ' 

*  Nothing/  she  said. 

'  Not  that  he  was  taken  to-night,  in  Tzerclas'  company,' 
I  answered,  '  and  is  a  prisoner  at  this  moment  at  the  Burg, 
charged,  along  with  the  villain  Neumann,  with  a  plot  to 
admit  the  enemy  into  the  city  ? ' 

My  lady  sat  down,  her  face  pale,  her  aspect  changed,  as 
the  countryside  changes  when  the  sun  goes  down.  'He 
was  there,'  she  muttered  — '  with  Tzerclas  ? ' 

I  nodded. 

'  The  Waldgrave  Rupert  —  my  cousin  ? '  she  murmured, 
as  if  the  thing  passed  the  bounds  of  reason. 

'  Yes,  my  lady,'  I  said,  as  gently  as  I  could.  '  But  he  is 
mad.  I  am  assured  that  he  is  mad.  He  has  been  mad  for 
weeks  past.  We  know  it.  We  have  known  it.  Besides, 
he  knew  nothing,  I  am  sure,  of  Tzerclas'  plans.' 

'  But  —  he  was  there  ! '  she  cried.  '  He  was  one  of  those 
two  men  they  carried  by  ?  One  of  those  ! ' 

'  Yes,'  I  said. 

She  sat  for  a  moment  stricken  and  silent,  the  ghost  of 
herself.  Then,  in  a  voice  little  above  a  whisper,  she  asked 
what  they  would  do  to  him. 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders.  To  be  candid,  I  had  not  given 
the  Waldgrave  much  thought,  though  in  a  way  he  had  saved 
my  life.  Now,  the  longer  I  considered  the  matter,  the  less 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  321 

room  for  comfort  I  found.  Certainly  he  was  mad.  We 
knew  him  to  be  mad.  But  how  were  we  to  persuade 
others  ?  For  weeks  his  bodily  health  had  been  good ;  he 
had  carried  himself  indoors  and  out-of-doors  like  a  sane 
man ;  he  had  done  duty  in  the  trenches,  and  mixed,  though 
grudgingly,  with  his  fellows,  and  gone  about  the  ordinary 
business  of  life.  How,  in  the  face  of  all  this,  could  we 
prove  him  mad,  or  make  his  judges,  stern  men,  fighting 
with  their  backs  to  the  wall,  see  the  man  as  we  saw  him  ? 

'  I  suppose  that  there  will  be  a  trial  ?  '  my  lady  said  at 
last,  breaking  the  silence. 

I  told  her  yes — at  once.  'The  town  is -in  a  frenzy  of 
rage,'  I  continued.  '  The  guards  had  a  hard  task  to  save 
them  to-night.  Perhaps  Prince  Bernard  of  Weimar ' 

'  Don't  count  on  .him,'  my  lady  answered.  '  He  is  as 
hard  as  he  is  gallant.  He  would  hang  his  brother  if  he 
thought  him,  guilty  of  such  a  thing  as  this.  No ;  our  only 
hope  is  in '  —  she  hesitated  an  instant,  and  then  ended  the 
sentence  abruptly  —  'Count  Leuchtenstein.  You  must  go 
to  him,  Martin,  at  seven,  or  as  soon  after  as  you  can  catch 
him.  He  is  a  just  man,  and  he  has  watched  the  Waldgrave 
and  noticed  him  to  be  odd.  The  court  will  hear  him. 
If  not,  I  know  no  better  plan.' 

Nor  did  I,  and  I  said  I  would  go ;  and  shortly  after- 
wards I  took  my  leave.  But  as  I  crept  to  my  bed  at  last, 
the  clocks  striking  two,  and  my  head  athrob  with  excite- 
ment and  gratitude,  I  wondered  what  was  in  my  lady's 
mind.  Remembering  the  Waldgrave's  gallant  presence 
and  manly  grace,  recalling  his  hopes,  his  courage,  and  his 
overweening  confidence,  as  displayed  in  those  last  days  at 
Heritzburg,  I  could  feel  no  surprise  that  so  sad  a  downfall 
touched  her  heart.  But  —  was  that  all  ?  Once  I  had 
deemed  him  the  man  to  win  her.  Then  I  had  seen  good 
cause  to  think  otherwise.  Now  again  I  began  to  fancy 
that  his  mishaps  might  be  crowned  with  a  happiness  which 
fortune  had  denied  to  him  in  his  days  of  success. 

21 


322  My  LADY  ROTHA. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE    TRIAL. 

LATE  as  it  was  when  I  fell  asleep  —  for  these  thoughts 
long  kept  me  waking  —  I  was  up  and  on  my  way  to  Count 
Leuchtenstein's  before  the  bells  rang  seven.  It  was  the 
17th  of  August,  and  the  sun,  already  high,  flashed  light 
from  a  hundred  oriels  and  casements.  Below,  in  the 
streets,  it  sparkled  on  pikeheads  and  steel  caps ;  above,  it 
glittered  on  vane  and  weather-cock ;  it  burnished  old  bells 
hung  high  in  air,  and  decked  the  waking  city  with  a  hun- 
dred points  of  splendour.  Everywhere  the  cool  brightness 
of  early  morning  met  the  eye,  and  spoke  of  things  I  could 
not  see  —  the  dew  on  forest  leaves,  the  Werra  where  it 
shoals  among  the  stones. 

But  as  I;  went  I  saw  things  that  belied  the  sunshine, 
things  to  which  I  could  not  shut  my  eyes.  I  met  men 
whose  meagre  forms  and  shrunken  cheeks  made  a  shadow 
round  them ;  and  others,  whose  hungry  vulture  eyes,  as  they 
prowled  in  the  kennel  for  garbage,  seemed  to  belong  to 
belated  night-birds  rather  than  to  creatures  of  the  day. 
Wan,  pinched  women,  with  white-faced  children,  signs  of 
the  deeper  distress  that  lay  hidden  away  in  courts  and 
alleys,  shuffled  along  beside  the  houses;  while  the  common 
crowd,  on  whose  features  famine  had  not  yet  laid  its  hand, 
wore  a  stern  pre-occupied  look,  as  if  the  gaunt  spectre  stood 
always  before  their  eyes  —  visible,  and  no  long  way  off. 

In  the  excitement  of  the  last  few  days  I  had  failed  to 
note  these  things  or  their  increase ;  I  had  gone  about  my 
business  thinking  of  little  else,  seeing  nothing  beyond  it. 
Now  my  eyes  were  rudely  opened,  and  I  recognised  with  a 
kind  of  shock  the  progress  which  dearth  and  disease  were 
making,  and  had  made,  in  the  city.  North  and  south  and 
east  and  west  of  me,  in  endless  multitude,  the  roofs  and 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  323 

spires  of  Nuremberg  rose  splendid  and  sparkling  in  the 
sunshine.  North  and  south,  and  east  and  west,  in  city  and 
lager  lay  scores  of  thousands  of  armed  men,  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  horses  —  a  host  that  might  fitly  be  called  invin- 
cible ;  and  all  come  together  in  its  defence.  But,  in 
corners,  as  I  went  along  I  heard  men  whisper  that  Duke 
Bernard's  convoy  had  been  cut  off,  that  the  Saxon  forage 
had  not  come  in,  that  the  Croats  were  gripping  the  Bam- 
berg  road,  that  a  thousand  waggons  of  corn  had  reached 
the  imperial  army.  And  perforce  I  remembered  that  an 
army  must  not  only  fight  but  eat.  The  soldiers  must  be 
fed,  the  city  must  be  fed.  I  began  to  see  that  if  Wallen- 
stein,  secure  in  his  impregnable  position  on  the  hills, 
declined  still  to  move  or  fight,  the  time  would  come  when 
the  Swedish  King  must  choose  between  two  courses,  and 
either  attack  the  enemy  on  the  Alta  Veste  against  all  odds 
of  position,  or  march  away  and  leave  the  city  to  its  fate. 
I  ceased  to  wonder  that  care  sat  on  men's  faces,  and  seemed 
to  be  a  feature  of  the  streets.  The  passion  which  the  mob 
had  displayed  in  the  night,  no  longer  surprised  me.  The 
hungry  man  is  no  better  than  a  brute. 

Opposite  Count  Leuchtenstein's  lodgings  they  were  quell- 
ing a  riot  at  a  bakehouse,  and  the  wolfish  cries  and  screams 
rang  in  my  ears  long  after  I  had  turned  into  the  house. 
The  Count  had  been  on  night  service,  and  was  newly  risen, 
and  not  yet  dressed,  but  his  servant  consented  to  admit  me. 
I  passed  on  the  stairs  a  grey-haired  sergeant,  scarred,  stiff, 
and  belted,  who  was  waiting  with  a  bundle  of  lists  and 
reports.  In  the  ante-chamber  two  or  three  gentlemen  in 
buff  coats,  who  talked  in  low,  earnest  voices  and  eyed  me 
curiously  as  I  passed,  sat  at  breakfast.  I  noted  the  order 
and  stillness  which  prevailed  everywhere  in  the  house,  and 
nowhere  more  than  in  the  Count's  chamber ;  where  I  found 
him  dressing  before  a  plain  table,  on  which  a  small,  fat 
Bible  had  the  place  of  a  pouncet-box,  and  a  pair  of  silver- 
mounted  pistols  figured  instead  of  a  scent-case.  Not  that 
the  appointments  of  the  room  were  mean.  On  a  little  stand 


324  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

beside  the  Bible  was  the  chain  of  gold  walnuts  which  I  had 
good  cause  to  remember;  and  this  was  balanced  on  the 
other  side  by  a  miniature  of  a  beautiful  woman,  set  in  gold 
and  surmounted  by  a  coat-of-arms. 

He  was  vigorously  brushing  his  grey  hair  and  mousta- 
chios  when  I  entered,  and  the  air,  which  the  open  window 
freely  admitted,  lent  a  brightness  to  his  eyes  and  a  fresh- 
ness to  his  complexion  that  took  off  ten  of  his  years.  He 
betrayed  some  surprise  at  seeing  me  so  early ;  but  he  re- 
ceived me  with  good  nature,  congratulated  me  on  my  adven- 
ture, the  main  facts  of  which  had  reached  him,  and  in  the 
same  breath  lamented  Tzerclas'  escape. 

'  But  we  shall  have  the  fox  one  of  these  days,'  he  con- 
tinued. 'He  is  a  clever  scoundrel,  and  thinks  to  be  a 
Wallenstein.  But  the  world  has  only  space  for  one  monster 
at  a  time,  friend  Steward.  And  to  be  anything  lower  than 
Wallenstein,  whom  I  take  to  be  unique,  —  to  be  a  Pappen- 
heirn,  for  instance,  —  a  man  must  have  a  heart  as  well  as  a 
head,  or  men  will  not  follow  him.  However,  you  did  not 
come  to  me  to  discuss  Tzerclas,'  he  continued  genially. 
'  What  is  your  errand,  my  friend  ?  ' 

'To  ask  your  excellency's  influence  on  behalf  of  the 
Waldgrave  Kupert.' 

He  paused  with  his  brushes  suspended.  'On  your  own 
account  ? '  he  asked ;  and  he  looked  at  me  with  sudden 
keenness. 

'No,  my  lord/  I  answered.  'My  lady  sent  me.  She 
would  have  come  herself,  but  the  hour  was  early;  and 
she  feared  to  let  the  matter  stand,  lest  summary  measures 
should  be  taken  against  him.' 

'  It  is  likely  very  summary  measures  will  be  taken ! '  he 
answered  dryly,  and  with  a  sensible  change  in  his  manner ; 
his  voice  seemed  to  grow  harsher,  his  features  more  rigid. 
'  But  why,'  he  continued,  looking  at  me  again,  '  does  not 
the  Countess  leave  him  in  Prince  Bernard's  hands  ?  He  is 
his  near  kinsman.' 

*  She  fears,  my  lord,  that  Prince  Bernard  may  not ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  325 

'  Be  inclined  to  help  him  ? '  the  Count  said.  '  Well,  and 
I  think  that  that  is  very  likely,  and  I  am  not  surprised. 
See  you  how  the  matter  stands  ?  This  young  gallant 
should  have  been,  since  his  arrival  here,  foremost  in  every 
skirmish ;  he  should  have  spent  his  days  in  the  saddle,  and 
his  nights  in  his  cloak,  and  been  the  first  to  mount  and  the 
last  to  leave  the  works.  Instead  of  that,  he  has  shown 
himself  lukewarm  throughout,  Master  Steward.  He  has 
done  no  credit  to  his  friends  or  his  commission;  he  has 
done  everything  to  lend  colour  to  this  charge ;  and,  by  ray 
faith,  I  do  not  know  what  can  be  done  for  him  —  nor  that 
it  behoves  us  to  do  anything.' 

'  But  he  is  not  guilty  of  this,  if  your  excellency  pleases,' 
I  said  boldly.  The  Count's  manner  of  speaking  of  him 
was  hard  and  so  nearly  hostile  that  my  choler  rose  a  little. 

*  He  has  not  done  his  duty  ! ' 

'  Because  he  has  not  been  himself,'  I  replied. 

'  Well,  we  have  enough  to  do  in  these  evil  days  to  pro- 
tect those  who  are  ! '  he  answered  sharply.  'Besides,  this 
matter  is  a  city  matter.  It  is  in  the  citizens'  hands,  and  I 
do  not  know  what  we  have  to  do  with  it.  Look  now,'  he 
continued,  almost  querulously,  'it  is  an  invidious  thing  to 
meddle  with  them.  We  of  the  army  are  risking  our  lives 
and  no  more,  but  our  hosts  are  risking  all  —  wives  and 
daughters,  sweethearts,  and  children,  and  homes!  And  I 
say  it  is  an  awkward  thing  meddling  with  them.  For 
Neumann  the  sooner  they  hang  the  dog  the  better ;  and  for 
this  young  spark  I  can  think  of  nothing  that  he  has  done 
that  binds  us  to  go  out  of  our  way  to  save  him.  Marien- 
bad !  What  brought  him  into  that  den  of  thieves  ? ' 

1  My  lord,'  I  said,  taken  aback  by  his  severity  — '  since 
he  received  a  wound  some  months  back  he  has  not  been 
himself.' 

'He  has  been  sufficiently  himself  to  hang  about  a  woman's 
apron-strings,'  the  Count  answered  with  a  flash  of  queru- 
lous contempt,  '  instead  of  doing  his  duty.  However,  what 
you  say  is  true.  I  have  seen  it  myself.  But,  again,  why 


326  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

does  not  your  lady  leave  Prince  Bernard  to  settle  the 
matter  ? ; 

1  She  fears  that  he  may  not  be  sufficiently  interested.' 

He  turned  away  abruptly;  unless  I  was  mistaken,  he 
winced.  And  in  a  moment  a  light  broke  in  upon  me. 
The  peevishness  and  irritability  with  which  he  had  re- 
ceived the  first  mention  of  the  Waldgrave's  name  had 
puzzled  me.  I  had  not  expected  such  a  display  in  a  man 
of  his  grave,  equable  nature,  of  his  high  station,  his  great 
name.  I  had  given  him  credit  for  a  less  churlish  spirit 
and  a  judgment  more  evenly  balanced.  And  I  had  felt 
surprised  and  disappointed. 

Now,  on  a  sudden,  I  saw  light  —  in  an  unexpected  quar- 
ter. For  a  moment  I  could  have  laughed  both  at  myself 
and  at  him.  The  man  was  jealous ;  jealous,  at  his  age  and 
with  his  grey  hairs  !  At  the  first  blush  of  the  thing  I  could 
have  laughed,  the  feeling  and  the  passion  it  implied  seemed 
alike  so  preposterous.  There  on  the  table  before  me  stood 
the  miniature  of  his  first  wife,  and  his  child's  necklace. 
And  the  man  himself  was  old  enough  to  be  my  lady's 
father.  What  if  he  was  tall  and  strong ;  and  still  vigor- 
ous though  grey-haired  ;  and  a  man  of  great  name.  When 
I  thought  of  the  Waldgrave  —  of  his  splendid  youth  and 
gallant  presence,  his  gracious  head  and  sunny  smile,  and 
pictured  this  staid,  sober  man  beside  him,  I  could  have 
found  it  in  my  heart  to  laugh. 

While  I  stood,  busy  with  these  thoughts,  the  Count 
walked  the  length  of  the  room  more  than  once  with  his 
head  bent  and  his  shoulder  turned  to  me.  At  length  he 
stopped  and  spoke ;  nor  could  my  sharpened  ear  now  detect 
anything  unusual  in  his  voice. 

'  Very  well,'  he  said,  his  tone  one  of  half-peevish  resig- 
nation, 'you  have  done  your  errand.  I  think  I  understand, 
and  you  may  tell  your  mistress  —  I  will  do  what  I  can. 
The  King  of  Sweden  will  doubtless  remit  the  matter  to 
the  citizens,  and  there  will  be  some  sort  of  a  hearing 
to-day.  I  will  be  at  it.  But  there  is  a  stiff  spirit  abroad, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  327 

and  men  are  in  an  ugly  mood  —  and  I  promise  nothing.  But 
I  will  do  my  best.  Now  go,  my  friend.  I  have  business.' 

With  that  he  dismissed  me  in  a  manner  so  much  like 
his  usual  manner  that  I  wondered  whether  I  had  deceived 
myself.  And  I  finally  left  the  room  in  a  haze  of  uncer- 
tainty. However,  I  had  succeeded  in  the  object  of  my 
visit;  that  was  something.  He  had  taken  care  to  guard 
his  promise,  but  I  did  not  doubt  that  he  would  perform 
it.  For  there  are  men  whose  lightest  word  is  weightier 
than  another's  bond ;  and  I  took  it,  I  scarcely  know  why, 
that  the  Count  belonged  to  these. 

Nevertheless,  I  saw  things,  as  I  went  through  the  streets, 
that  fed  my  doubts.  While  famine  menaced  the  poorer 
people,  the  richer  held  a  sack,  with  all  the  horrors  which 
Magdeburg  had  suffered,  in  equal  dread.  The  discovery 
of  Neumann's  plot  had  taught  them  how  small  a  matter 
might  expose  them  to  that  extremity ;  and  as  I  went  along 
I  saw  scarcely  a  burgher  whose  face  was  not  sternly  set, 
no  magistrate  whose  brow  was  not  dark  with  purpose. 

Consequently,  when  I  attended  my  lady  to  the  Rath-haus 
at  two  o'clock,  the  hour  fixed  for  the  inquiry,  I  was  not 
surprised  to  find  these  signs  even  more  conspicuous.  The 
streets  were  thronged,  and  ugly  looks  and  suspicious 
glances  met  us  on  all  sides,  merely  because  it  was  known 
that  the  Waldgrave  had  been  much  at  my  lady's  house. 
We  were  made  to  feel  that  Nuremberg  was  a  free  city,  and 
that  we  were  no  more  than  its  guests.  It  is  true,  no  one 
insulted  us ;  but  the  crowd  which  filled  the  open  space 
before  the  Town-house  eyed  us  with  so  little  favour  that 
I  was  glad  to  think  that  the  magistrates  with  all  their 
independence  must  still  be  guided  by  the  sword,  and  that 
the  sword  was  the  King  of  Sweden's. 

My  lady,  I  saw,  shared  my  apprehensions.  But  she 
came  of  a  stock  not  easily  daunted,  and  would  as  soon 
have  dreamed  of  putting  out  one  of  her  eyes  because  it 
displeased  a  chance  acquaintance,  as  of  deserting  a  friend 
because  the  Nurembergers  frowned  upon  him.  Her  eyes 


328  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

sparkled  and  her  colour  rose  as  we  proceeded ;  the  ominous 
silence  which  greeted  us  only  stiffened  her  carriage.  By 
the  time  we  reached  the  Rath-haus  I  knew  not  whether  to 
fear  more  from  her  indiscretion,  or  hope  more  from  her 
courage. 

The  Court  sat  in  private,  but  orders  that  we  should 
be  admitted  had  been  given;  and  after  a  brief  delay  we 
were  ushered  into  the  hall  of  audience  —  a  lofty,  panelled 
chamber,  carved  and  fretted,  having  six  deep  bays,  and  in 
each  a  window  of  stained  glass.  A  number  of  scutcheons 
and  banners  depended  from  the  roof;  at  one  end  a  huge 
double  eagle  wearing  the  imperial  crown  pranced  in  all  the 
pomp  of  gold  and  tinctures ;  and  behind  the  court,  which 
consisted  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  and  four  colleagues,  the 
sword  of  Justice  was  displayed.  But  that  which  struck 
me  far  more  than  these  things,  was  the  stillness  that  pre- 
vailed ;  which  was  such  that,  though  there  were  a  dozen 
persons  present  when  we  entered,  the  creaking  of  our  boots 
as  we  walked  up  the  floor,  and  the  booming  of  distant 
cannon,  seemed  to  be  equally  audible. 

The  Chief  Magistrate  rose  and  received  my  lady  with 
due  ceremony,  ordering  a  chair  to  be  placed  for  her,  and 
requesting  her  to  be  seated  at  the  end  of  the  dais-table, 
behind  which  he  sat.  I  took  my  stand  at  a  respectful  dis- 
tance behind  her ;  and  so  far  we  had  nothing  to  complain 
of ;  but  I  felt  my  spirits  sensibly  dashed  both  by  the  still- 
ness and  the  sombre  and  almost  forbidding  faces  of  the  five 
judges.  Two  or  three  attendants  stood  by  the  doors,  but 
neither  the  King  of  Sweden  nor  any  of  his  officers  were 
present.  I  looked  in  vain  for  Count  Leuchtenstein ;  I 
could  see  nothing  of  him  or  of  the  prisoners.  The  solemn 
air  of  the  room,  the  silence,  and  the  privacy  of  the  pro- 
ceedings, all  contributed  to  chill  me.  I  could  fancy  myself 
before  a  court  of  inquisitors,  a  Vehm-Gericht,  or  that  famous 
Council  of  Ten  which  sits,  I  have  heard,  at  Venice ;  but  for 
any  of  the  common  circumstances  of  such  tribunals  as  are 
usual  in  Germany,  I  could  not  find  them. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  329 

I  think  that  my  lady  was  somewhat  taken  aback  too ; 
but  she  did  not  betray  it.  After  courteously  thanking  the 
Council  for  granting  her  an  audience,  she  explained  that 
her  object  in  seeking  it  was  to  state  certain  facts  on  behalf 
of  the  Waldgrave  Rupert  of  Weimar,  her  kinsman,  and  to 
offer  the  evidence  of  her  steward,  a  person  of  respectability. 

( We  are  quite  willing  to  hear  your  excellency/  the  Chief 
Magistrate  answered  in  a  grave,  dry  voice.  '  But  perhaps 
you  will  first  inform  us  to  what  these  facts  tend  ?  It  may 
shorten  the  inquiry.' 

'  Some  weeks  ago,'  my  lady  answered  with  dignity,  '  the 
Waldgrave  Kupert  was  wounded  in  the  head.  From  that 
time  he  has  not  been  himself.' 

'  Does  your  excellency  mean  that  he  is  not  aware  of  his 
actions  ? ' 

'  No,'  my  lady  answered  quietly.  '  I  do  not  go  as  far  as 
that.' 

'  Or  that  he  is  not  aware  in  what  company  he  is  ? '  the 
magistrate  persisted. 

<  Oh  no.' 

'Or  that  he  is  ignorant  at  any  time  where  he  is  ?  ' 

'No,  but ' 

'  One  moment ! '  the  Chief  Magistrate  stopped  her  with  a 
courteous  gesture.  '  Pardon  me.  In  an  instant,  your  ex- 
cellency—  to  whom  I  assure  you  that  the  Court  are  obliged, 
since  we  desire  only  to  do  justice  —  will  see  to  what  my 
questions  lead.  I  crave  leave  to  put  one  more,  and  then  to 
put  the  same  question  to  your  steward.  It  is  this :  Do  you 
admit,  Countess,  that  the  Waldgrave  Rupert  was  last  night 
in  the  house  with  Tzerclas,  Neumann,  and  the  other  persons 
inculpated  ? ' 

'Certainly,'  my  lady  answered.  'I  am  so  informed.  I 
did  not  know  that  that  was  in  question,'  she  added,  looking 
round  with  a  puzzled  air. 

'  And  you,  my  friend  ?  '  The  Chief  Magistrate  fixed  me 
with  his  small,  keen  eyes.  '  But  first,  what  is  your  name  ? ' 

'  Martin  Schwartz.' 


330  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'Yes,  I  remember.  The  man  who  was  saved  from  the 
villains.  We  could  have  no  better  evidence.  What  do  you 
say,  then  ?  Was  the  Waldgrave  Rupert  last  night  in  this 
house  —  the  house  in  question  ? ' 

'I  saw  him  in  the  house,'  I  answered  warily.  'In  the 
hall.  But  he  was  not  in  the  room  with  Tzerclas  and 
Neumann  —  the  room  in  which  I  saw  the  maps  and  plans.' 

'A  fair  answer,'  the  Burgomaster  replied,  nodding  his 
head,  'and  your  evidence  might  avail  the  accused.  But 
the  fact  is  —  it  is  to  this  point  we  desire  to  call  your  excel- 
lency's attention,'  he  continued,  turning  with  a  dusty  smile 
to  my  lady  — '  the  Waldgrave  steadily  denies  that  he  was 
in  the  house  at  all.' 

'  He  denies  that  he  was  there  ?  '  my  lady  said.  '  But  was 
he  not  arrested  in  the  house  ? ' 

'Yes,'  the  Chief  Magistrate  answered  dryly,  'he  was.' 
And  he  looked  at  us  in  silence. 

'  But  —  what  does  he  say  ?  '  my  lady  asked  faintly. 

'  He  affects  to  be  ignorant  of  everything  that  has  occurred 
in  connection  with  the  house.  He  pretends  that  he  does 
not  know  how  he  comes  to  be  in  custody,  that  he  does  not 
know  many  things  that  have  lately  occurred.  For  instance, 
three  days  ago,'  the  Burgomaster  continued  with  a  chill 
smile, '  I  had  the  honour  of  meeting  him  at  the  King  of 
Sweden's  quarters  and  talking  with  him.  He  says  to-day 
that  I  am  a  stranger  to  him,  that  we  did  not  meet,  that  we 
did  not  talk,  and  that  he  does  not  know  where  the  King  of 
Sweden's  quarters  are.' 

'  Then/  my  lady  said  sorrowfully,  '  he  is  worse  than  he 
was.  He  is  now  quite  mad.' 

'  I  am  afraid  not,'  the  magistrate  replied,  shaking  his 
head  gravely.  '  He  is  sane  enough  on  other  points.  Only 
he  will  answer  no  questions  that  relate  to  this  conspiracy, 
or  to  his  guilt.' 

'  He  is  not  guilty,'  the  Countess  cried  impetuously. 
'  Believe  me,  however  strangely  he  talks,  he  is  incapable  of 
such  treachery ! ' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  331 

'Your  excellency  forgets  —  that  he  was  in  this  house !' 

'  But  with  no  evil  intentions ! ' 

'  Yet  denies  that  he  was  there ! '  the  Burgomaster  con- 
cluded gravely. 

That  silenced  my  lady,  and  she  sat  rolling  her  kerchief 
in  her  hands.  Against  the  five  impassive  faces  that  con- 
fronted her,  the  ten  inscrutable  eyes  that  watched  her ; 
above  all,  against  this  strange,  this  inexplicable  denial,  she 
could  do  nothing  !  At  last  — 

'  Will  you  hear  my  steward  ? '  she  asked  —  in  despair,  I 
think. 

'  Certainly,'  the  Burgomaster  answered.  '  We  wish  to  do 
so.' 

On  that  I  told  them  all  I  knew ;  in  what  terms  I  had 
heard  Neumann  and  General  Tzerclas  refer  to  the  Wald- 
grave;  how  unexpected  had  been  his  appearance  in  the 
hall ;  how  this  interference  had  saved  my  life  ;  and,  finally, 
my  own  conviction  that  he  was  not  privy  to  Tzerclas' 
designs. 

The  Court  heard  me  with  attention;  the  Burgomaster 
put  a  few  questions,  and  I  answered  them.  Then,  afraid  to 
stop — for  their  faces  showed  no  relenting  —  I  began  to 
repeat  what  I  had  said  before.  But  now  the  Court  re- 
mained silent;  I  stumbled,  stammered,  finally  sank  into 
silence  myself.  The  air  of  the  place  froze  me ;  I  seemed 
to  be  talking  to  statues. 

The  Countess  was  the  first  to  break  the  spell.  '  Well  ? ' 
she  cried,  her  voice  tremulous,  yet  defiant. 

The  Burgomaster  consulted  his  colleagues,  and  for  the 
first  time  something  of  animation  appeared  in  their  faces. 
But  it  lasted  an  instant  only.  Then  the  others  sat  back  in 
their  chairs,  and  he  turned  to  my  lady. 

'  We  are  obliged  to  your  excellency,'  he  said  gravely  and 
formally.  '  And  to  your  servant.  But  the  Court  sees  no 
reason  to  change  its  decision.' 

'And  that  is?'  The  Countess's  voice  was  husky.  She 
knew  what  was  coining. 


332  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'That  both  prisoners  suffer  together.' 

For  an  instant  I  feared  that  my  lady  would  do  something 
unbecoming  her  dignity,  and  either. break  into  womanish 
sobs  and  lamentations,  or  stoop  to  threats  and  insistence 
that  must  be  equally  unavailing.  But  she  had  learned  in 
command  the  man's  lesson  of  control ;  and  never  had  I 
seen  her  more  equal  to  herself.  I  knew  that  her  heart 
was  bounding  wildly;  that  her  breast  was  heaving  with 
indignation,  pity,  horror ;  that  she  saw,  as  I  saw,  the  fair 
head  for  which  she  pleaded,  rolling  in  the  dust.  But 
with  all  —  she  controlled  herself.  She  rose  stiffly  from 
her  seat. 

'I  am  obliged  to  you  for  your  patience,  sir,'  she  said, 
trembling  but  composed.  '  I  had  expected  one  to  aid  me 
in  my  prayer,  who  is  not  here.  And  I  can  say  no  more. 
On  his  head  be  it.  Only  —  I  trust  that  you  may  never 
plead  with  as  good  a  cause  —  and  be  refused.' 

They  rose  and  stood  while  she  turned  from  them;  and 
the  two  court  ushers  with  their  wands  went  before  her  as 
she  walked  down  the  hall.  The  silence,  the  formality,  the 
creaking  shoes,  the  very  gules  and  purpure  that  lay  in  pools 
on  the  floor  —  I  think  that  they  stifled  her  as  they  stifled 
me ;  for  when  she  reached  the  open  air  at  last  and  I  saw 
her  face,  I  saw  that  she  was  white  to  the  lips. 

But  she  bore  herself  bravely ;  the  surly  crowd,  that 
filled  the  Market  Square  and  hailed  our  appearance  with  a 
harsh  murmur,  grew  silent  under  her  scornful  eye,  and 
partly  out  of  respect,  partly  out  of  complaisance,  because 
they  now  felt  sure  of  their  victim,  doffed  their  caps  to  her 
and  made  room  for  us  to  pass.  Every  moment  I  expected 
her  to  break  down :  to  weep  or  cover  her  face.  But  she 
passed  through  all  proudly,  and  walked,  unfaltering,  back 
to  our  lodging. 

There  on  the  threshold  she  did  pause  at  last,  just  when  I 
wished  her  to  go  on.  She  stood  and  turned  her  head, 
listening. 

'What  is  that  ? '  she  said. 


But   with   all  — she  controlled   herHclf. 

.-t  illly   I'runi  her  seat. 


She  rose 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  333 

'Cannon,'  I  answered  hastily.  'In  the  trenches,  my 
lady.' 

'  No,'  she  said  quietly.  '  It  is  shouting.  They  have  read 
the  sentence.' 

She  said  no  more,  not  another  word ;  and  went  in  quietly 
and  upstairs  to  her  room.  But  I  wondered  and  feared. 
Such  composure  as  this  seemed  to  be  unnatural,  almost 
cruel.  I  could  not  think  of  the  Waldgrave  myself  without 
a  lump  coming  in  my  throat.  I  could  not  face  the  sun- 
shine. And  Steve  and  the  men,  when  they  heard,  were  no 
better.  We  stood  inside  the  doorway  in  a  little  knot,  and 
looked  at  one  another  mournfully.  A  man  who  passed  — 
and  did  not  know  the  house  or  who  we  were  —  stopped  to 
tell  us  that  the  sentence  would  be  carried  out  at  sunset ; 
and,  pleased  to  have  given  us  the  news,  went  whistling 
down  the  stale,  sunny  street. 

Steve  growled  out  an  oath.  '  Who  are  these  people,'  he 
said  savagely,  '  that  they  should  say  my  lady  nay  ?  When 
the  Countess  stoops  to  ask  a  life  —  Himmel !  —  is  she  not 
to  have  it  ?  ' 

*  Not  here,'  I  said,  shaking  my  head. 

'  And  why  not  ? ' 

'Because  we  are  not  at  Heritzbtirg  now,'  I  answered 
sadly. 

'  But  —  are  we  nobody  here  ? '  he  growled  in  a  rage. 
'  Are  we  going  to  sit  still  and  let  them  kill  my  lady's  own 
cousin  ?  ' 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders.  '  We  have  done  all  we  can,' 
I  said. 

'  But  there  is  some  one  can  say  nay  to  these  curs ! '  he 
cried.  And  he  spat  contemptuously  into  the  street.  He 
had  a  countryman's  scorn  of  townsfolk.  '  Why  don't  we 
take  the  law  into  our  own  hands,  Master  Martin  ? ' 

'  It  is  likely,'  I  said.  '  One  against  ten  thousand  !  And 
for  the  matter  of  that,  if  the  people  are  angry,  it  is  not 
without  cause.  Did  you  see  the  man  under  the  archway  ? ' 

Steve  nodded.     '  Dead,'  he  muttered. 


334  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

'  Starved/  I  said.  '  He  was  a  cripple.  First  the  cripples. 
Then  the  sound  men.  Life  is  cheap  here.' 

Steve  swore  another  oath.  'Those  are  curs.  But  our 
man —  why  don't  we  go  to  the  King  of  Sweden  ?  I  suppose 
he  is  a  sort  of  cousin  to  my  lady  ?  ' 

'We  have  as  good  as  gone  to  him,'  I  answered.  At 
another  time  I  might  have  smiled  at  Steve's  notion  of  my 
lady's  importance.  '  We  have  been  to  one  equally  able  to 
help  us.  And  he  has  done  us  no  good.  And  for  the 
matter  of  that,  there  is  not  time  to  go  to  the  camp  and 
back.' 

Steve  began  to  fume  and  fret.  The  minutes  went  like 
lead.  We  were  all  miserable  together.  Outside,  the  ken- 
nel simmered  in  the  sun,  the  low  rumble  of  the  cannon 
filled  the  air.  I  hated  Nuremberg,  the  streets,  the  people, 
the  heat.  I  wished  that  I  had  never  seen  a  stone  of  it. 

Presently  one  of  the  women  came  down  stairs  to  us. 
'  Do  you  know  if  there  has  been  any  fighting  in  the  trenches 
to-day  ?  '  she  asked. 

'Nothing  to  speak  of,'  I  answered.  'As  far  as  I  have 
heard.  Why  ? ' 

'The  Countess  wishes  to  know,'  she  said.  'You  have 
not  heard  of  any  one  being  killed  ?  ' 

'No.' 

'  Nor  wounded  ? ' 

'No.' 

She  nodded  and  turned  away.  I  called  after  her  to  know 
the  reason  of  her  questions,  but  she  flitted  upstairs  with- 
out giving  me  an  answer,  and  left  us  looking  at  one 
another.  In  a  second,  however,  she  was  down  again. 

'My  lady  will  see  no  one,'  she  said,  with  a  face  of 
mystery.  '  You  understand,  Master  Martin  ?  But  —  if  any 
come  of  importance,  you  can  take  her  will.' 

I  nodded.  The  woman  cast  a  lingering  look  into  the 
street  and  went  upstairs  again. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  335 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

A    POOR    GUERDON. 

I  HAD  slept  scantily  the  night  before,  and  the  excitement 
of  the  last  twenty-four  hours  had  worn  me  out.  I  was 
grieved  for  the  gallant  life  so  swiftly  ebbing,  and  miserable 
on  my  lady's  account ;  but  sorrow  of  this  kind  is  a  sleepy 
thing,  and  the  day  was  hot.  I  did  not  feel  about  the 
Waldgrave  as  I  had  about  Marie ;  and  gradually  my  head 
nodded,  and  nodded  again,  until  I  fell  fast  asleep,  on  the 
seat  within  the  door. 

A  man's  voice,  clear  and  penetrating,  awoke  me.  'Let 
him  be,'  it  said.  '  Hark  you,  fellow,  let  him  be.  He  was 
up  last  night ;  I  will  announce  myself.' 

I  was  drowsy  and  understood  only  half  of  what  I  heard ; 
and  I  should  have  taken  the  speaker  at  his  word,  and  turn- 
ing over  dropped  off  again,  if  Steve  had  not  kicked  me  and 
brought  me  to  my  feet  with  a  cry  of  pain.  I  stood  an 
instant,  bewildered,  dazzled  by  the  sunlight,  nursing  my 
ankle  in  my  hand.  Then  I  made  out  where  I  was,  and  saw 
through  the  arch  of  the  entrance  Count  Leuchtenstein  dis- 
mounting in  the  street.  As  I  looked,  he  threw  the  reins  to 
a  trooper  who  accompanied  him,  and  turned  to  come  in. 

'  Ah,  my  friend,'  he  said,  nodding  pleasantly,  '  you  are 
awake.  I  will  see  your  mistress.' 

I  was  not  quite  myself,  and  his  presence  took  me  aback. 
I  stood  looking  at  him  awkwardly.  '  If  your  excellency 
will  wait  a  moment,'  I  faltered  at  last,  'I  will  take  her 
pleasure.' 

He  glanced  at  me  a  moment,  as  if  surprised.  Then  he 
laughed.  '  Go,'  he  said.  '  I  am  not  often  kept  waiting.' 

I  was  glad  to  get  away,  and  I  ran  upstairs ;  and  knocking 
hurriedly  at  the  parlour  door,  went  in.  My  lady,  pale  and 
frowning,  with  a  little  book  in  her  hand,  got  up  hastily  — 


336  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

from  her  knees,  I  thought.  Marie  Wort,  with  tears  on  her 
cheeks,  and  Fraulein  Max,  looking  scared,  stood  behind  her. 

The  Countess  looked  at  me,  her  eyes  flashing.  '  What  is 
it  ? '  she  asked  sharply. 

'  Count  Leuchtenstein  is  below,'  I  said. 

<  Well  ? ' 

'  He  wishes  to  see  your  excellency.' 

'  Did  I  not  say  that  I  would  see  no  one  ? ' 

'  But  Count  Leuchtenstein  ? ' 

She  laughed  a  shrill  laugh  full  of  pain  —  a  laugh  that  had 
something  hysterical  in  it.  '  You  thought  that  I  would  see 
him  ? '  she  cried.  '  Him,  I  suppose,  of  all  people  ?  Go 
down,  fool,  and  tell  him  that  even  here,  in  this  poor  house, 
my  doors  are  open  to  my  friends  and  to  them  only !  Not 
to  those  who  profess  much  and  do  nothing !  Or  to  those 
who  bark  and  do  not  bite !  Count  Leuchtenstein  ?  Pah, 

tell  him Silence,  woman ! '  This  to  Marie,  who 

would  have  interrupted  her.  '  Tell  him  what  I  have  told 
you,  man,  word  for  word.  Or  no '  —  and  she  caught  her- 
self up  with  a  mocking  smile,  such  as  I  had  never  seen  on 
her  face  before.  '  Tell  him  this  instead  —  that  the  Countess 
Rotha  is  engaged  with  the  Waldgrave  Rupert,  and  wants 
no  other  company  !  Yes,  tell  him  that  —  it  will  bite  home, 
if  he  has  a  conscience  !  He  might  have  saved  him,  and  he 
would  not !  Now,  when  I  would  pray,  which  is  all  women 
can  do,  he  comes  here  !  Oh,  I  am  sick  !  I  am  sick ! ' 

I  saw  that  she  was  almost  beside  herself  with  grief ;  and 
I  stood  irresolute,  my  heart  aching  for  her.  What  I  dared 
not  do,  Marie  did.  She  sprang  forward,  and  seizing  the 
Countess's  hand,  knelt  beside  her,  covering  it  with  kisses. 

'  Oh,  my  lady  ! '  she  cried  through  her  tears.  '  Don't  be 
so  hard.  See  him.  See  him.  Even  at  this  last  moment.' 

With  an  inarticulate  cry  the  Countess  flung  her  off  so 
forcibly  that  the  girl  fell  to  the  ground.  '  Be  silent ! '  my 
lady  cried,  her  eyes  on  fire.  '  Or  go  to  your  prayers,  wench. 
To  your  prayers  !  And  do  you  begone !  Begone,  and  on 
your  peril  give  my  message,  word  for  word ! ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  337 

I  saw  nothing  for  it  but  to  obey ;  and  I  went  down  full  of 
dismay.  I  could  understand  my  lady's  grief,  and  that  I  had 
come  upon  her  at  an  inopportune  moment.  But  the  self- 
control  which  she  had  exhibited  before  the  Court  rendered 
the  violence  of  her  rage  now  the  more  surprising.  I  had 
never  seen  her  in  this  mood,  and  her  hardness  shocked  me. 
I  felt  myself  equally  bewildered  and  grieved. 

I  found  Count  Leuchtenstein  waiting  on  the  step,  with 
his  face  to  the  street.  He  turned  as  I  descended.  '  Well  ?  ' 
he  said,  smiling.  <  Am  I  to  go  up,  my  friend  ? ' 

I  saw  that  he  had  not  the  slightest  doubt  of  my  answer, 
and  his  cheerfulness  kindled  a  sort  of  resentment  in  my 
breast.  He  seemed  to  be  so  well  content,  so  certain  of  his 
reception,  so  calm  and  strong  —  and,  at  this  very  moment 
—  for  the  sunshine  had  left  the  street  and  was  creeping  up 
the  tiles  —  they  might  be  leading  out  the  Waldgrave !  I 
had  liked  my  lady's  message  very  little  when  she  gave  it 
to  me  ;  now  I  rejoiced  that  I  could  sting  him  with  it. 

'  My  lady  is  not  very  well,'  I  said.  '  The  sentence  on  the 
Waldgrave  has  upset  her.' 

He  smiled.     '  But  she  will  receive  me  ? '  he  said. 

'Craving  your  excellency's  indulgence,  I  do  not  think 
that  she  will  receive  any  one.' 

'  You  told  her  that  I  was  here  ? ' 

'  Yes,  your  excellency.     And  she  said ' 

His  face  fell.  'Tut!  tut!'  he  exclaimed.  'But  I  come 
on  purpose  to What  did  she  say,  man  ? ' 

The  smile  was  gone  from  his  lips,  but  I  caught  it  lurking 
in  his  eyes ;  and  it  hardened  me  to  do  her  bidding.  '  I  was 
to  tell  your  excellency  that  she  could  not  receive  you,'  I 
said,  'that  she  was  engaged  with  the  Waldgrave.' 

He  started  and  stared  at  me,  his  expression  slowly  pass- 
ing from  amazement  to  anger.  'What!'  he  exclaimed  at 
last,  in  a  cutting  tone.  '  Already  ? '  And  his  lip  curled 
with  a  kind  of  disgust.  '  You  have  given  me  the  message 
exactly,  have  you  ?  ' 

'Yes,  your  excellency,'  I  said,  quailing  a  little.  But 

22 


338  My  LADY  ROTH  A. 

servants  know  when  to  be  stupid,  and  I  affected  stupidity, 
fixing  my  eyes  on  his  breast  and  pretending  to  see  nothing. 
He  turned,  and  for  a  moment  I  thought  that  he  was  going 
without  a  word.  Then  on  the  steps  he  turned  again.  '  You 
have  heard  the  news,  then  ? '  he  said  sourly.  He  had 
already  regained  his  self-control. 

'  Yes,  my  lord.' 

'  Ah  !  Well,  you  lose  no  time  in  your  house,'  he  replied 
grimly.  '  Call  my  horse  ! ' 

I  called  the  man,  who  had  wandered  a  little  way  up  the 
street,  and  he  brought  it.  As  I  held  the  Count's  stirrup 
for  him  to  mount,  I  noticed  how  heavily  he  climbed  to  his 
saddle,  and  that  he  settled  himself  into  it  with  a  sigh ;  but 
the  next  moment  he  laughed,  as  at  himself.  I  stood  back 
expecting  him  to  say  something  more,  or  to  leave  some 
message,  but  he  did  not  even  look  at  me  again ;  he  touched 
his  horse  with  the  spur,  and  walked  away  steadily.  I  stood 
and  watched  him  until  he  reached  the  end  of  the  street  — 
until  he  turned  the  corner  and  disappeared. 

Even  then  I  still  stood  looking  after  him,  partly  sorry 
and  partly  puzzled,  for  quite  a  long  time.  It  was  only 
when  I  turned  to  go  in  that  I  missed  Steve  and  the  men, 
and  began  to  wonder  what  had  become  of  them.  I  had 
left  them  with  the  Count  at  the  door  —  they  were  gone 
now.  I  looked  up  and  down,  I  could  see  them  nowhere. 
I  went  in  and  asked  the  women ;  but  they  were  not  with 
them.  The  sunset  gun  had  just  gone  off,  and  one  of  the 
girls  was  crying  hysterically,  while  the  others  sat  round 
her,  white  and  frightened.  This  did  not  cheer  me,  nor 
enliven  the  house.  I  came  out  again,  vowing  vengeance  on 
the  truants  ;  and  there  in  the  entrance,  facing  me,  standing 
where  the  Count  had  stood  a  few  minutes  before,  I  saw  the 
last  man  I  looked  to  see  ! 

I  gasped  and  gave  back  a  step.  The  sun  was  gone,  the 
evening  light  was  behind  the  man,  and  his  face  was  in  the 
shadow.  His  figure  showed  dark  against  the  street.  *  Ach 
Gott ! '  I  cried,  and  stood  still,  stricken.  It  was  the  Wald- 
grave ! 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  339 

1  Martin.  ! '  he  said. 

I  gave  back  another  step.  The  street  was  quiet,  the 
house  like  the  grave.  For  a  moment  the  figure  did  not 
move,  but  stood  there  gazing  at  me.  Then  — 

'  Why,  Martin  ! '  he  cried.     '  Don't  you  know  me  ? ' 

Then,  not  until  then,  I  did  —  for  a  man  and  not  a  ghost ; 
and  I  caught  his  hand  with  a  cry  of  joy.  '  Welcome,  my 
lord,  welcome ! '  I  said,  grown  hot  all  over.  '  Thank  God 
that  you  have  escaped  ! ' 

'  Yes,'  he  said,  and  his  tone  was  his  own  old  tone,  '  thank 
God ;  Him  first,  and  then  my  friends.  Steve  and  Ernst  I 
have  seen  already ;  they  heard  the  news  from  the  Count's 
man,  and  came  to  meet  me,  and  I  have  sent  them  on  an 
errand,  by  your  leave.  And  now,  where  is  my  cousin  ? ' 

'  Above,'  I  answered.     '  But ' 

'  But  what  ? '  he  said  quickly. 

'  I  think  that  I  had  better  prepare  her.' 

'  She  does  not  know  ? ' 

'  No,  your  excellency.    Nor  did  I,  until  I  saw  you/ 

'But  Count  Leuchtenstein  has  been  here.  Did  he  not 
tell  you  ? '  he  asked  in  surprise. 

'  Not  a  word  ! '  I  answered.  And  then  I  stopped,  con- 
science-stricken. '  Himmel !  I  remember  now,'  I  said.  '  He 
asked  me  if  we  had  heard  the  news ;  and  I,  like  a  dullard, 
dreaming  that  he  meant  other  news,  and  the  worst,  said  yes  ! ' 

The  Waldgrave  shrugged  his  shoulders.  '  Well,  go  to 
her  now,  and  tell  her,'  he  said.  '  I  want  to  see  her ;  I  want 
to  thank  her.  I  have  a  hundred  things  to  say  to  her. 
Quick,  Martin,  for  I  am  laden  with  debts,  and  I  choke  to 
pay  some  of  them.' 

I  ran  upstairs,  marvelling.  On  the  lobby  I  met  Fraulein 
Max  coining  down.  'What  is  it  ? '  she  asked  impatiently. 

'The  Waldgrave  !  He  has  been  released  !  He  is  here ! ' 
I  cried  in  a  breath. 

She  stared  at  me  while  a  man  might  count  ten.  Then  to 
my  astonishment  she  laughed  aloud.  '  Who  released  him  ?' 
she  asked. 


340  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  The  magistrates/  I  said.  '  I  suppose  so.  I  don't  know. 
I  had  not  given  the  matter  a  thought. 

(  Not  Count  Leuchtenstein  ? ' 

I  started.  '  So  ! '  I  muttered,  staring  at  her  in  my  turn. 
'  It  must  have  been  he.  The  Waldgrave  said  something 
about  him.  And  he  must  have  come  here  to  tell  us.' 

'  And  you  gave  him  my  lady's  message  ? ' 

1  Alas !  yes.' 

Fraulein  Max  laughed  again,  and  kept  on  laughing,  until 
I  grew  hot  all  over,  and  could  have  struck  her  for  her 
malice.  She  saw  at  last  that  I  was  angry,  and  she  stopped. 
1  Tut !  tut  ! '  she  said,  '  it  is  nothing.  But  that  disposes  of 
the  old  man.  Now  for  the  young  one.  He  is  here  ? ' 

'Yes.' 

1  Then  why  do  you  not  show  him  up  ? ' 

'  She  must  be  prepared,'  I  muttered. 

She  laughed  again;  this  time  after  a  different  fashion. 
'  Oh  you  fools  of  men  !  '  she  said.  <  She  must  be  prepared  ? 
Do  you  think  that  women  are  made  of  glass  and  that  a 
shock  breaks  them  ?  That  she  will  die  of  joy  ?  Or  would 
have  died  of  grief  ?  Send  him  up,  gaby,  and  I  will  prepare 
her !  Send  him  up.' 

I  supposed  that  she  knew  women's  ways,  and  I  gave  in  to 
her,  and  sent  him  up ;  and  I  do  not  know  that  any  harm 
was  done.  But,  as  a  result  of  this,  I  was  not  present  when 
my  lady  and  the  Waldgrave  met,  and  I  only  learned  by 
hearsay  what  happened. 

*  #  #  *  *  * 

An  hour  or  two  later,  when  the  bustle  of  shrieks  and 
questions  had  subsided,  and  the  excitement  caused  by  his 
return  had  somewhat  worn  itself  out,  Marie  slipped  out  to 
me  on  the  stairs,  and  sat  with  me  in  the  darkness,  talking. 
The  gate  of  curious  ironwork  which  guarded  the  house 
entrance  was  closed  for  the  night;  but  the  moon  was 
up,  and  its  light,  falling  through  the  scrollwork,  lay  like  a 
pale,  reedy  pool  at  our  feet.  The  men  were  at  supper,  the 
house  was  quiet,  the  city  was  for  a  little  while  still.  Not  a 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  341 

foot  sounded  on  the  roadway;  only  sometimes  a  skulking 
dog  came  ghost-like  to  the  bars  and  sniffed,  and  sneaked 
noiselessly  away. 

I  have  said  that  we  talked,  but  in  truth  we  sat  long 
silent,  as  lovers  have  sat  these  thousand  years,  I  suppose, 
in  such  intervals  of  calm.  The  peace  of  the  night  lapped 
us  round ;  after  the  perils  and  hurry,  the  storm  and  stress 
of  many  days,  we  were  together  and  at  rest,  and  content 
to  be  silent.  All  round  us,  under  the  covert  of  dark- 
ness, under  the  moonlight,  the  city  lay  quaking ;  dreading 
the  future,  torn  by  pangs  in  the  present;  sleepless,  or 
dreaming  of  death  and  outrage,  ridden  by  the  nightmare 
of  Wallenstein.  But  for  the  moment  we  recked  nothing  of 
this,  nothing  of  the  great  camp  round  us,  nothing  of  the 
crash  of  nations.  We  were  of  none  of  these.  We  had  one 
another,  and  it  was  enough ;  loved  one  another,  and  the 
rest  went  by.  For  the  moment  we  tasted  perfect  peace; 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  besieged  city,  were  as  much  alone, 
as  if  the  moonlight  at  our  feet  had  been,  indeed,  a  forest 
pool  high  in  the  hills  over  Heritzburg. 

Does  some  old  man  smile  ?  Do  I  smile  myself  now, 
though  sadly  ?  A  brief  madness,  was  it  ?  Nay  ;  but  what 
if  then  only  we  were  sane,  and  for  a  moment  saw  things  as 
they  are  —  lost  sight  of  the  unreal  and  awoke  to  the  real  ? 
I  once  heard  a  wise  man  from  Basle  say  something  like 
that  at  my  lady's  table.  The  men,  I  remember,  stared ; 
the  women  looked  thoughtful. 

For  all  that,  it  was  Marie  who  on  this  occasion  broke  the 
trance.  The  town  clock  struck  ten,  and  at  the  sound 
hundreds,  I  dare  swear,  turned  on  their  pillows,  thinking 
of  the  husbands  and  sons  and  lovers  whom  the  next  light 
must  imperil.  My  girl  stirred. 

'Ah!'  she  murmured,  'the  poor  Countess!  Can  we  do 
nothing  ? ' 

'  Do  ?  '  I  said.  'What  should  we  do  ?  The  Waldgrave 
is  back,  and  in  his  right  mind ;  which  of  all  the  things  I 
have  ever  known,  is  the  oddest.  That  a  man  should  lose 


342  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

his  senses  under  one  blow,  and  recover  them  under  another, 
and  remember  nothing  that  has  happened  in  the  interval  — 
it  almost  passes  belief.' 

'  Yet  it  is  true.' 

*  I  suppose  so/  I  answered.  '  The  Waldgrave  was  mad  — 
I  can  bear  witness  to  it  —  and  now  he  is  sane.  There  is  no 
more  to  be  said.' 

1  But  the  Countess,  Martin  ?  ' 

'  Well,  I  do  not  know  that  she  is  the  worse,'  I  answered 
stupidly.  '  She  sent  off  the  Count  with  a  flea  in  his  ear, 
and  a  poor  return  it  was.  But  she  can  explain  it  to  him, 
and  after  all,  she  has  got  the  Waldgrave  back,  safe  and 
sound.  That  is  the  main  thing.' 

Marie  sighed,  and  moved  restlessly.  'Is  it ? '  she  said. 
'I  wish  I  knew.' 

'  What  ? '  I  asked,  drawing  her  little  head  on  to  my 
shoulder. 

'  What  my  lady  wishes  ?  ' 

'Eh?' 

'  Which  ? ' 

My  jaw  fell.  I  stared  into  the  darkness  open-mouthed. 
'  Why,'  I  exclaimed  at  last,  '  he  is  sixty  —  or  fifty-five  at 
least,  girl !  ' 

Marie  laughed  softly,  with  her  face  on  my  breast.  '  If 
she  loves  him,' she  murmured.  'If  she  loves  him.'  And 
she  hung  on  me. 

I  sat  amazed,  confounded,  thinking  no  more  of  Marie, 
though  my  arm  was  round  her,  than  of  a  doll.  '  But  he  is 
fifty  five,'  I  said. 

'  And  if  you  were  fifty-five,  do  you  think  that  I  should 
not  love  you  ? '  she  whispered.  '  When  you  are  fifty -five, 
do  you  think  that  I  shall  not  love  you  ?  Besides,  he  is 
strong,  brave,  famous  —  a  man ;  and  she  is  not  a  girl,  but  a 
woman.  If  the  Count  be  too  old,  is  not  the  Waldgrave  too 
young  ? ' 

'Yes,'  I  said  cunningly.     '  But  why  either  ? ' 

'Because  love  is  in  the  air,'  Marie  answered  ;  and  I  knew 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  343 

that  she  smiled,  though  the  gloom  hid  her  face.  '  Because 
there  is  a  change  iu  her.  Because  she  knows  things  and 
sees  things  and  feels  things  of  which  she  was  ignorant 
before.  And  because  —  because  it  is  so,  my  lord.' 

I  whistled.  This  was  beyond  me.  '  And  yet  you  don't 
know  which?'  I  said. 

1  No  ;  I  suspect.' 

'  Well  —  but  the  Waldgrave  ? '  I  exclaimed.  '  Why, 
madchen,  he  is  one  of  the  handsomest  men  I  have  ever  seen. 
An  Apollo  !  A  Fairy  Prince  !  It  is  not  possible  that  she 
should  prefer  the  other.' 

Marie  laughed.  '  Ah ! '  she  said,  '  if  men  chose  all  the 
husbands,  there  would  be  few  wives.' 

****** 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

TWO   MEN. 

THE  Waldgrave's  return  to  his  old  self,  and  to  the  frank- 
ness and  gaiety  that,  when  we  first  knew  him  at  Heritzburg, 
had  surrounded  him  with  a  halo  of  youth,  was  perhaps  the 
most  noteworthy  event  of  all  within  my  experience.  For 
the  return  proved  permanent,  the  transformation  was  per- 
fect. The  moodiness,  the  crookedness,  the  crafty  humours 
that  for  weeks  had  darkened  and  distorted  the  man's  nature 
—  so  that  another  and  a  worse  man  seemed  to  look  out  of 
his  eyes  and  speak  with  his  mouth  —  were  gone,  leaving  no 
cloud  or  remembrance.  He  had  been  mad  ;  he  was  now  as 
sane  as  the  best.  Only  one  peculiarity  remained  —  and  for 
a  few  days  a  little  pallor  and  weakness  —  of  all  the  things 
that  had  befallen  him  between  his  first  wound  and  his 
second,  he  could  remember  nothing,  not  a  jot  or  tittle ;  nor 
could  any  amount  of  allusion  or  questioning  bring  these 
things  back  to  him.  After  many  attempts  we  desisted  ;  but 


344  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

there  were  always  some  who,  from  this  date,  regarded  him 
with  a  certain  degree  of  awe  —  as  a  man  who  had  been  for 
a  time  in  the  flesh,  and  yet  not  of  it. 

With  sanity  returned  also  all  the  wholesome  ambitions 
and  desires  that  had  formerly  moved  the  man ;  and 
amongst  these  his  passion  for  my  lady.  He  lay  at  our 
house  that  night,  and  spent  the  next  two  days  there, 
recovering  his  strength ;  and  I  had  more  than  one  oppor- 
tunity of  marking  the  assiduity  with  which  he  followed  all 
the  Countess's  movements  with  his  eyes,  the  change  which 
his  voice  underwent  when  he  spoke  to  her,  and  his  manner 
when  he  came  into  her  presence.  In  a  word,  he  seemed  to 
take  up  his  love  where  he  had  dropped  it  —  at  the  point  it 
had  reached  when  he  rode  down  into  the  green  valley  and 
secured  his  rival's  victory  at  so  great  a  cost ;  at  the  point 
at  which  Tzerclas'  admiration  and  my  lady's  rebuff  had  at 
once  strengthened  and  purified  it. 

Now  Tzerclas  was  gone  from  the  field  —  magically,  as  it 
seemed  to  the  Waldgrave.  And,  magically  also  —  for  he 
knew  nothing  of  its  flight  —  time  had  passed;  days  and 
weeks  running  into  months  —  a  sufficiency  of  time,  he 
hoped,  to  remove  unfavourable  impressions  from  her  mind, 
to  obliterate  the  memory  of  that  unhappy  banquet,  and 
replace  him  on  the  pinnacle  he  had  occupied  at  Heritzburg. 

But  he  soon  found  that,  though  Tzerclas  was  gone  and 
the  field  seemed  open,  all  was  not  to  be  had  for  the  asking. 
My  lady  was  kind ;  she  had  a  smile  for  him,  and  pleasant 
words,  and  a  ready  ear.  But  before  he  had  been  in  the 
house  twenty-four  hours,  he  came  and  confided  to  me  that 
something  was  wrong.  The  Countess  was  changed;  was 
pettish  as  he  had  never  seen  her  before ;  absent  and 
thoughtful,  traits  equally  new  ;  restless  — and  placid  dignity 
had  been  one  of  her  chief  characteristics. 

'  What  is  it,  Martin  ? '  he  said,  knitting  his  brows  and 
striding  to  and  fro  in  frank  perplexity.  '  It  cannot  be  that, 
after  all  that  has  passed,  she  is  fretting  for  that  villain 
Tzerclas  ? ' 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  345 

'  After  risking  her  life  to  escape  from  him  ? '  I  answered 
dryly.  '  No,  I  think  not,  my  lord.' 

'  If  I  ever  set  eyes  on  him  again  I  will  end  him ! '  the 
Waldgrave  cried,  still  clinging,  I  think,  to  his  idea,  and 
exasperated  by  it.  He  strode  up  and  down  a  time  or  two, 
and  did  not  grow  cooler.  f  If  it  is  not  that,  what  is  it  ? '  he 
said  at  last. 

'  There  are  not  many  light  hearts  in  Nuremberg,'  I  sug- 
gested. 'And  of  those,  few  are  women's.  There  must  be 
an  end  of  this  soon.' 

1  You  think  it  is  that  ? '  he  said. 

'  Why  not  ? '  I  answered.  '  I  am  told  that  the  horses  are 
dying  by  hundreds  in  the  camp.  The  men  will  die  next. 
In  the  end  the  King  will  have  to  march  away,  or  see  his 
army  perish  piecemeal.  In  either  case  the  city  will  pay  for 
all.  Wallenstein  will  swoop  down  on  it,  and  make  of  it 
another  and  greater  Magdeburg.  That  is  a  poor  prospect 
for  the  weak  and  helpless.' 

'  It  is  those  rascally  Croats  ! '  the  Waldgrave  groaned. 
'They  cover  the  country  like  flies  —  are  here  and  there 
and  nowhere  all  in  the  same  minute,  and  burn  and  harry 
and  leave  us  nothing.  We  have  no  troops  of  that  kind.' 

'  There  was  plundering  in  the  Wert  suburb  last  night,'  I 
said.  '  The  King  blames  the  Germans.' 

'  Soldiers  are  bad  to  starve,'  the  Waldgrave  answered. 

'  Yes ;  they  will  see  the  townsfolk  suffer  first,'  I  rejoined, 
with  a  touch  of  bitterness.  '  But  look  whichever  way  you 
please,  it  is  a  gloomy  outlook,  my  lord,  and  I  do  not  wonder 
that  my  lady  is  down-hearted.' 

He  nodded,  but  presently  he  said  something  that  showed 
that  he  was  not  satisfied.  '  The  Countess  used  to  be  of  a 
bolder  spirit,'  he  muttered.  '  I  don't  understand  it.' 

I  did  not  know  how  to  answer  him,  and  fortunately,  at 
that  moment,  Marie  came  down  to  say  that  my  lady  pro- 
posed to  visit  Count  Leuchtenstein,  and  that  I  was  to  go  to 
her.  The  Waldgrave  heard,  and  raced  up  before  me,  cry- 
ing out  that  he  would  go  too.  I  followed.  When  I 


346  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

reached  the  parlour  I  found  them  confronting  one  another, 
my  lady  standing  in  the  oriel  with  her  back  to  the  street. 

'  But  would  it  not  be  more  seemly  ? '  the  Waldgrave  was 
saying  as  I  entered.  '  As  your  cousin,  and ' 

'I  would  rather  go  alone/  the  Countess  replied  curtly. 

1  To  the  camp  ? '  he  exclaimed.  '  He  is  not  in  his  city 
quarters.' 

'Yes,  to  the  camp/  my  lady  answered,  with  a  spark  of 
anger  in  her  eyes. 

On  that  he  stood,  fidgety  and  discomfited,  and  the 
Countess  gave  me  her  orders.  But  he  could  not  believe 
that  she  did  not  need  him,  and  the  moment  she  was  silent, 
he  began  again. 

'You  do  not  want  me  ;  but  you  do  not  object  to  my  com- 
pany, I  suppose  ? '  he  said  airily.  '  I  have  to  thank  the 
Count,  cousin,  and  I  must  go  to-day  or  to-morrow.  There 
is  no  time  like  the  present,  and  if  you  are  going  now ' 

'  I  should  prefer  to  go  alone/  my  lady  said  stiffly. 

His  face  fell ;  he  stood  looking  foolish.  '  Oh,  I  did  not 
know/  he  stammered  at  last ;  l  I  thought ' 

'  What  ? '  the  Countess  said. 

'  That  you  liked  me  well  enough  —  to  —  to  be  glad  of  my 
company/  he  answered,  half  offended,  half  in  deprecation. 

'  I  liked  you  well  enough  to  abase  myself  for  you ! '  my 
lady  retorted  cruelly.  And  I  dare  say  that  she  said  more, 
but  I  did  not  hear  it.  I  had  to  go  down  and  prepare  for 
her  visit. 

When  I  next  saw  him,  he  was  much  subdued.  He 
seemed  to  be  turning  something  over  in  his  mind,  and  by- 
and-by  he  asked  me  a  question  about  Count  Leuchtenstein. 
I  saw  which  way  his  thoughts  were  tending,  or  fancied  that 
I  did ;  but  it  was  not  -my  business  to  interfere  one  way  or 
the  other,  and  I  answered  him  and  made  no  comment.  The 
horses  were  at  the  door  then,  and  in  a  moment  my  lady 
came  down,  looking  pale  and  depressed.  The  Waldgrave 
went  humbly  to  her,  and  put  her  into  her  saddle,  touching 
her  foot  as  if  it  had  been  glass ;  and  I  mounted  Marie,  who 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  347 

was  to  attend  her.  I  expected  that  my  lady  —  who  had  a 
very  tender  heart  under  her  queenly  manner  —  would  say 
something  to  him  before  we  started ;  but  she  seemed  to  be 
quite  taken  up  with  her  thoughts,  and  to  be  barely  con- 
scious, if  conscious  at  all,  of  his  presence.  She  said 
'Thank  you/  but  it  was  mechanically.  And  the  next 
moment  we  were  moving,  Ernst  making  up  the  escort. 

My  eyes  soon  furnished  me  with  other  matter  for  thought 
than  the  Waldgrave.  Throughout  the  city  the  summer 
drought  had  dried  up  the  foliage  of  the  trees;  and  the 
grass,  where  it  had  not  been  plucked  by  the  poor  and 
boiled  for  food,  had  been  eaten  to  the  roots  by  starving 
cattle.  The  whole  city  under  the  blaze  of  sunshine  wore 
an  arid,  dusty,  parched  appearance,  and  seemed  to  reflect 
on  its  face  the  look  of  dreary  endurance  which  was  worn  by 
too  many  of  the  countenances  we  observed  in  the  streets. 
Pain  creeps  by  instinct  to  some  dark  and  solitary  place ; 
but  here  was  a  whole  city  in  pain,  gasping  and  suffering 
under  the  pitiless  sunshine ;  and  the  contrast  between  the 
blue  sky  above  and  the  scene  below  added  indescribably  to 
the  gloom  and  dreariness  of  the  latter.  I  know  that  I  got  a 
horror  of  sunshine  there  that  lasted  for  many  a  month  after. 

Either  twenty-four  hours  had  aggravated  the  pinch  of 
famine,  which  was  possible,  or  I  had  a  more  open  mind  to 
perceive  it.  I  marked  more  hollow  cheeks  than  ever,  more 
hungry  eyes,  more  faces  with  the  glare  of  brutes.  And  in 
the  bearing  of  the  crowd  that  filled  the  streets  —  though  no 
business  was  done,  no  trade  carried  on  —  I  thought  that  I 
saw  a  change.  Wherever  it  was  thickest,  I  noticed  that 
men  walked  in  one  of  two  ways,  either  hurrying  along 
feverishly  and  in  haste,  as  if  time  were  of  the  utmost 
value,  or  moving  listlessly,  with  dragging  feet  and  lack- 
lustre eyes,  as  if  nothing  had  any  longer  power  to  stir 
them.  I  even  noticed  that  the  same  men  went  in  both 
ways  within  the  space  of  a  minute,  passing  in  a  second  and 
apparently  without  intention  from  feverish  activity  to  the 
moodiness  of  despair. 


348  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

And  no  wonder.  Not  only  famine,  but  pestilence  had 
tightened  its  grasp  on  the  city ;  and  from  this  the  rich  had 
as  much  to  fear  as  the  poor.  As  we  drew  near  the  walls 
the  smell  of  carrion,  which  had  hitherto  but  spoiled  the  air, 
filled  the  nostrils  and  sickened  the  whole  man.  In  some 
places  scores  of  horses  lay  unburied,  while  it  was  whispered 
that  in  obscure  corners  death  had  so  far  outstripped  the 
grave-diggers  that  corpses  lay  in  the  houses  and  the  living 
slept  with  the  dead.  There  was  fighting  in  front  of  the 
bakers'  shops  in  more  than  one  place  —  my  lady  had  to 
throw  money  before  we  could  pass ;  in  the  kennels  women 
screamed  and  fought  for  offal ;  from  the  open  doors  of 
churches  prayers  and  wailing  poured  forth;  at  the  gates, 
where  gibbets,  laden  with  corpses,  rose  for  a  warning, 
multitudes  stood  waiting  and  listening  for  news.  And  on 
all,  dead  and  living,  the  sun  shone  hotly,  steadily,  ruth- 
lessly, so  that  men  asked  with  one  voice,  '  How  long  ? 
How  long  ? ' 

In  the  camp,  which  had  just  received  huge  reinforce- 
ments of  men  and  horses,  we  found  order  and  discipline  at 
least.  Rows  of  kettles  and  piles  of  arms  proclaimed  it, 
and  lines  of  pennons  that  stretched  almost  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  But  here,  too,  were  knitted  brows,  and 
gloomy  looks,  and  loud  murmurings,  that  grew  and  swelled 
as  we  passed.  Count  Leuchtenstein's  quarters  were  on  the 
border  of  the  Swedish  camp,  near  the  Finland  regiments, 
and  not  far  from  the  King's.  A  knot  of  officers,  who  stood 
talking  in  front  of  them  and  knew  my  lady,  came  to  place 
themselves  at  her  service.  But  the  offer  proved  to  be 
abortive,  for  the  first  thing  she  learned  was  that  the  Count 
was  absent.  He  had  gone  at  dawn  in  the  direction  of 
Altdorf  to  cover  the  entrance  of  a  convoy. 

I  felt  that  she  was  grievously  disappointed,  for  whether 
she  loved  him  or  not,  I  could  understand  the  humiliation 
under  which  she  smarted,  and  would  smart  until  she  had  set 
herself  right  with  him.  But  she  veiled  her  chagrin  admi- 
rably, and,  lightly  refusing  the  offer  of  refreshment,  turned 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  349 

her  horse's  head  at  once,  so  that  in  a  twinkling  we  were  on 
our  road  home  again. 

By  the  way,  I  saw  only  what  T  had  seen  before.  But  the 
Countess,  whose  figure  began  to  droop,  saw,  I  think,  with 
other  eyes  than  those  through  which  she  had  looked  on  the 
outward  journey.  Her  thoughts  no  longer  occupied,  she 
saw  in  their  fulness  the  ravages  which  famine  and  plague 
were  making  in  the  town,  once  so  prosperous.  When  she 
reached  her  lodgings  her  first  act  was  to  send  money,  of 
which  we  had  no  great  store,  to  the  magistrates,  that  a  free 
meal  in  addition  to  the  starvation  rations  might  be  given 
to  the  poor ;  and  her  next,  to  declare  that  henceforth  she 
would  keep  the  house. 

Accordingly,  instead  of  going  again  to  the  Count's,  she 
sent  me  next  day  with  a  letter.  I  found  the  camp  in  an 
uproar,  which  was  fast  spreading  to  the  city.  A  rumour 
had  just  got  wind  that  the  King  was  about  to  break  up  his 
camp  and  give  battle  to  the  enemy  at  all  hazards  ;  and  so 
many  were  riding  and  running  into  the  city  with  the  news 
that  I  could  scarcely  make  head  against  the  current. 

Arriving  at  last,  however,  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  find 
the  Count  in  his  quarters  and  alone.  My  lady  had  charged 
me  —  with  a  blushing  cheek  but  stern  eyes  —  to  deliver  the 
letter  with  my  own  hands,  and  I  dismounted.  I  thought  that 
I  had  nothing  to  do  but  deliver  it ;  I  foresaw  no  trouble.  But 
at  the  last  moment,  as  a  trooper  led  me  through  the  ante- 
chamber, who  should  appear  at  my  side  but  the  Waldgrave  ! 

'You  did  not  expect  to  see  me  ? '  he  said,  nodding  grimly. 

'No,  my  lord,'  I  answered. 

'  So  I  thought,'  he  rejoined.  (  But  before  you  give  the 
Count  that  letter,  I  have  a  word  to  say  to  him.' 

I  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  What  had  the  letter 
to  do  with  him  ?  My  first  idea  was  that  he  had  been 
drinking,  for  his  colour  was  high  and  his  eye  bright.  But 
a  second  glance  showed  that  he  was  sober,  though  excited. 
And  while  I  hesitated  the  trooper  held  up  the  curtain,  and 
perforce  I  marched  in. 


350  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

Count  Leuchtenstein,  wearing  his  plain  buff  suit,  sat 
writing  at  a  table.  His  corselet,  steel  cap,  and  gauntlets 
lay  beside  him,  and  seemed  to  show  that  he  had  just  coine 
in  from  the  field.  He  looked  up  and  nodded  to  me ;  I  had 
been  announced  before.  Then  he  saw  the  Waldgrave  and 
rose ;  reluctantly,  I  fancied.  I  thought,  too,  that  a  shade 
of  gloom  fell  on  his  face ;  but  as  the  table  was  laden  with 
papers  and  despatches  and  maps  and  lists,  and  the  sight 
reminded  me  that  he  bore  on  bis  shoulders  all  the  affairs  of 
Hesse,  and  the  responsibility  for  the  boldest  course  taken 
by  any  German  prince  in  these  troubles,  I  reflected  that 
this  might  arise  from  a  hundred  causes. 

He  greeted  the  Waldgrave  civilly  nevertheless  ;  then  he 
turned  to  me.  '  You  have  a  letter  for  me,  have  you  not, 
my  friend  ?  '  he  said. 

'  Yes,  my  lord,'  I  answered. 

'  But,'  the  Waldgrave  interposed,  '  before  you  read  it,  1 
have  a  word  to  say,  by  your  leave,  Count  Leuchtenstein.' 

I  think  I  never  saw  a  man  more  astonished  than  the 
Count.  '  To  me  ? '  he  said. 

'  By  your  leave,  yes.' 

'  In  regard  to  —  this  letter  ?  ' 

'Yes.' 

'  But  what  do  you  know  about  this  letter  ? ' 

'  Too  much,  I  am  afraid,'  the  Waldgrave  answered ;  and 
I  am  bound  to  say  that,  putting  aside  the  extraordinary 
character  of  his  interference,  he  bore  himself  well.  I  could 
detect  nothing  of  wildness  or  delusion  in  his  manner.  His 
face  glowed,  and  he  threw  back  his  head  with  a  hint  of 
defiance  ;  but  he  seemed  sane.  '  Too  much,'  he  continued 
rapidly,  before  the  Count  could  stop  him  ;  'and,  before  the 
matter  goes  farther,  I  will  have  my  say.' 

The  Count  stared  at  him.  '  By  what  right  ? '  he  said  at 
last. 

'As  the  Countess  Rotha's  nearest  kinsman,'  the  Wald- 
grave answered. 

'  Indeed  ?  '     I  could  see  that  the  Count  was  hard  put  to 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  351 

it  to  keep  his  temper;  that  the  old  lion  in  him  was  stirring, 
and  would  soon  have  way.  But  for  the  moment  he  con- 
trolled himself.  '  Say  on,'  he  cried. 

'  I  will,  in  a  few  words,'  the  Waldgrave  answered.  '  And 
what  I  have  to  say  amounts  to  this  :  I  have  become  aware 
—  no  matter  how  —  of  the  bargain  you  have  made,  Count 
Leuchtenstein,  and  I  will  not  have  it.' 

'  The  bargain  ! '  the  Count  ejaculated ;  '  you  will  not  have 
it!' 

1  The  bargain ;  and  I  will  not  have  it ! '  the  Waldgrave 
rejoined. 

Count  Leuchtenstein  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  stared  at 
him  like  a  man  demented.  '  I  think  that  you  must  be  mad,' 
he  said  at  last.  '  If  not,  tell  me  what  you  mean.' 

'  What  I  say,'  the  Waldgrave  answered  stubbornly.  '  I 
forbid  the  bargain  to  which  I  have  no  doubt  that  that  letter 
relates.' 

'  In  Heaven's  name,  what  bargain  ?  '  the  Count  cried. 

'  You  think  that  I  do  not  know,'  the  Waldgrave  replied, 
with  a  touch  of  bitterness  ;  '  it  did  not  require  a  Solomon  to 
read  the  riddle.  I  found  my  cousin  distrait,  absent,  moody, 
sad,  preoccupied,  unlike  herself.  She  had  moved  heaven 
and  earth,  I  was  told,  to  save  me ;  in  the  last  resort,  had 
come  to  you,  and  you  saved  me.  Yet  when  she  saw  me 
safe,  she  met  me  as  much  in  sorrow  as  in  joy.  The  mere 
mention  of  your  name  clouded  her  face  ;  and  she  must  see 
you,  and  she  must  write  to  you,  and  all  in  a  fever.  I  say, 
it  does  not  require  a  Solomon  to  read  this  riddle,  Count 
Leuchtenstein.' 

'You  think?'  said  the  Count,  bluntly.  'I  do  not  yet 
know  what  you  think.' 

'I  think  that  she  sold  herself  to  you  to  win  my  pardon,' 
the  Waldgrave  answered. 

For  a  moment  I  did  not  know  how  Count  Leuchtenstein 
would  take  it.  He  stood  gazing  at  the  Waldgrave,  his  hand 
on  a  chair,  his  face  purple,  his  eyes  starting.  At  length, 
to  my  relief  and  the  Waldgrave's  utter  dismay  and  shame, 


352  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

he  sank  into  the  chair  and  broke  into  a  hoarse  shout  of 
laughter  —  laughter  that  was  not  all  merriment,  but  rolled 
in  its  depths  something  stern  and  sardonic. 

The  Waldgrave  changed  colour,  glared  and  fumed ;  but 
the  Count  was  pitiless,  and  laughed  on.  At  last :  (  Thanks, 
Waldgrave,  thanks,'  he  said.  (  I  am  glad  I  let  you  go  on 
to  the  end.  But  pardon  me  if  I  say  that  you  seem  to  do 
the  Lady  Rotha  something  less  than  justice,  and  yourself 
something  more.' 

'  How  ?  '  the  Waldgrave  stammered.  He  was  quite  out 
of  countenance. 

'  By  flattering  yourself  that  she  could  rate  you  so  highly,' 
Count  Leuchtenstein  retorted,  '  or  fall  herself  so  low.  Nay, 
do  not  threaten  me,'  he  continued  with  grim  severity.  '  It 
was  not  I  who  brought  her  name  into  question.  I  never 
dreamed  of,  never  heard  of,  never  conceived  such  a  bargain 
as  you  have  described ;  nor,  I  may  add,  ever  thought  of  the 
Lady  Rotha  except  with  reverence  and  chivalrous  regard. 
Have  I  said  enough  ? '  he  continued,  rising,  and  speaking 
with  growing  indignation,  with  eyes  that  seemed  to  search 
the  culprit ;  '  or  must  I  say  too,  Waldgrave,  that  I  do  not 
traffic  in  men's  lives,  nor  buy  women's  favours,  nor  sell 
pardons  ?  That  such  power  as  God  and  my  master  have 
given  me  I  use  to  their  honour  and  not  for  my  own  pleas- 
ure ?  And,  finally,  that  this,  of  which  you  accuse  me,  I 
would  not  do,  though  to  do  it  were  to  prolong  my  race 
through  a  dozen  centuries  ?  For  shame,  boy,  for  shame  ! ' 
he  continued  more  calmly.  '  If  my  mind  has  gone  the  way 
you  trace  it,  I  call  it  back  to-day.  I  have  done  with  love ;  I 
am  too  old  for  aught  but  duty,  if  love  can  lead  even  a  young 
man's  mind  so  far  astray.' 

The  Waldgrave  shivered ;  but  the  position  was  beyond 
words,  and  he  essayed  none.  With  a  slight  movement  of  his 
hand,  as  if  he  would  have  shielded  himself,  or  deprecated 
the  other's  wrath,  he  turned  towards  the  door.  I  saw  his 
face  for  an  instant;  it  was  pale,  despairing  —  and  with 
reason.  He  had  exposed  my  lady.  He  had  exposed  him- 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  353 

self.  He  had  invited  such  a  chastisement  as  must  for  ever 
bring  the  blood  to  his  cheeks.  And  his  cousin :  what  would 
she  say  ?  He  had  lost  her.  She  would  never  forgive  him 
—  never !  He  groped  blindly  for  the  opening  in  the  curtain. 

His  hand  was  on  it  —  and  I  think  that,  for  all  his  man- 
hood, the  tears  were  very  near  his  eyes  —  when  the  other 
called  after  him  in  an  altered  tone. 

'Stay!'  Count  Leuchtenstein  said.  'We  will  not  part 
thus.  I  can  see  that  you  are  sorry.  Do  not  be  so  hasty 
another  time,  and  do  not  be  too  quick  to  think  evil.  For 
the  rest,  our  friend  here  will  be  silent,  and  I  will  be 
silent.' 

The  Waldgrave  gazed  at  him,  his  lips  quivering,  his  eyes 
full.  At  last:  'You  will  not  tell  — the  Countess  Rotha  ?  ' 
he  said  almost  in  a  whisper. 

The  Count  looked  down  at  his  table,  and  pettishly 
pushed  some  papers  together.  For  an  instant  he  did  not 
answer.  Then  he  said  gruffly,  — '  No.  Why  should  she 
know  ?  If  she  chooses  you,  well  and  good ;  if  not,  why 
trouble  her  with  tales  ?  ' 

'  Then ! '  the  Waldgrave  cried  with  a  sob  in  his  voice, 
'  you  are  a  better  man  than  I  am  ! ' 

The  Count  shrugged  his  shoulders  rather  sadly.  'No,' 
he  said,  '  only  an  older  one.' 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

SUSPENSE. 

FOR  a  little  while  after  the  Waldgrave  had  retired,  Count 
Leuchtenstein  stood  turning  my  lady's  letter  over  in  his 
hands,  his  thoughts  apparently  busy.  I  had  leisure  during 
this  time  to  compare  the  plainness  of  his  dress  with  the 
greatness  of  his  part,  to  which  his  conduct  a  moment  be- 
fore had  called  my  attention  ;  and  the  man  with  his  reputa- 
tion. No  German  had  at  this  time  so  much  influence  with 

23 


354  M^'  LADY  ROTHA. 

the  King  of  Sweden  as  he ;  nor  did  the  world  ever  doubt 
that  it  was  at  his  instance  that  the  Landgrave,  first  of  all 
German  princes,  flung  his  sword  into  the  Swedish  scale. 
Yet  no  man  could  be  more  unlike  the  dark  Wallenstein, 
the  crafty  Arnim,  the  .imperious  Oxenstierna,  or  the  sleep- 
less French  cardinal,  whose  star  has  since  risen  —  as  I 
have  heard  these  men  described ;  for  Leuchtenstein  carried 
his  credentials  in  his  face.  An  honest,  massive  downright- 
ness  and  a  plain  sagacity  seemed  to  mark  him,  and  com- 
mend him  to  all  who  loved  the  German  blood. 

My  eyes  presently  wandered  from  him,  and  detected 
among  the  papers  on  the  table  the  two  stands  I  had  seen 
in  his  town  quarters  —  the  one  bearing  his  child's  neck- 
lace, the  other  his  wife's  portrait.  Doubtless  they  lay  on 
the  table  wherever  he  went  —  among  assessments  and  im- 
posts, regimental  tallies  and  state  papers.  I  confess  that 
my  heart  warmed  at  the  sight ;  that  I  found  something 
pleasing  in  it ;  greatness  had  not  choked  the  man.  And 
then  my  thoughts  were  diverted :  he  broke  open  my  lady's 
letter,  and  turning  his  back  on  me  began  to  read. 

I  waited,  somewhat  impatiently.  He  seemed  to  be  a 
long  time  over  it,  and  still  he  read,  his  eyes  glued  to  the 
page.  I  heard  the  paper  rustle  in  his  hands.  At  last  he 
turned,  and  I  saw  with  a  kind  of  shock  that  his  face  was 
dark  and  flushed.  There  was  a  strange  gleam  in  his  eyes 
as  he  looked  at  me.  He  struck  the  paper  twice  with  his 
hand. 

'  Why  was  this  kept  from  me  ?  '  he  exclaimed.  '  Why  ? 
Why?' 

'  My  lord  ! '  I  said  in  astonishment.  '  It  was  delivered  to 
me  only  an  hour  ago.' 

'  Fool ! '  he  answered  harshly,  bending  his  bushy  eye- 
brows. '  When  did  that  girl  get  free  ?  ' 

'  That  girl  ?  ' 

'  Ay,  that  girl !  Girl,  I  said.  What  is  her  name  ?  Marie 
Wort  ? ' 

This  is  Saturday.     Wednesday  night,'  I  said. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  355 

'  Wednesday  night  ?  And  she  told  you  of  the  child 
then  ;  of  my  child  —  that  this  villain  has  it  yonder  !  And 
you  kept  it  from  me  all  Thursday  and  Friday  —  Thursday 
and  Friday,'  he  repeated  with  a  fierce  gesture,  l  when  I 
might  have  done  something,  when  I  might  have  acted ! 
Now  you  tell  me  of  it,  when  we  march  out  to-morrow,  and 
it  is  too  late.  Ah  !  It  was  ungenerous  of  her  —  it  was  not 
like  her ! ' 

1  The  Countess  came  yesterday  in  person,'  I  muttered. 

'  Ay,  but  the  day  before ! '  he  retorted.  '  You  saw  me  in 
the  morning !  You  said  nothing.  In  the  evening  I  called 
at  the  Countess's  lodgings ;  she  would  not  see  me.  A 
mistake  was  it  ?  Yes,  but  grant  the  mistake  ;  was  it  kind, 
was  it  generous  to  withhold  this  ?  If  I  had  been  as  remiss 
as  she  thought  me,  as  slack  a  friend  —  was  it  just,  was  it 
womanly  ?  In  Heaven's  name,  no  !  No ! '  he  repeated 
fiercely. 

'  We  were  taken  up  with  the  Waldgrave's  peril,'  I  mut- 
tered, conscience-stricken.  'And  yesterday,  my  lady ' 

'  Ay,  yesterday  ! '  he  retorted  bitterly.  '  She  would  have 
told  me  yesterday.  But  why  not  the  day  before  ?  The 
truth  is,  you  thought  much  of  your  own  concerns  and  your 
lady's  kin,  but  of  mine  and  my  child  —  nothing !  Noth- 
ing!' he  repeated  sternly. 

And  I  could  not  but  feel  that  his  anger  was  justified. 
For  myself,  I  had  clean  forgotten  the  child ;  hence  my  si- 
lence at  my  former  interview.  For  my  lady,  I  think  that 
at  first  the  Waldgrave's  danger  and  later,  when  she  knew 
of  his  safety,  remorse  for  the  part  she  had  played,  occupied 
her  wholly,  yet,  every  allowance  made,  I  felt  that  the 
thing  had  an  evil  appearance ;  and  I  did  not  know  what  to 
say  to  him. 

He  sighed,  staring  absently  before  him.  At  last,  after  a 
prolonged  silence,  '  Well,  it  is  too  late  now,'  he  said.  ( Too 
late.  The  King  moves  out  to-morrow,  and  my  hands  are 
full,  and  God  only  knows  the  issue,  or  who  of  us  will  be 
living  three  days  hence.  So  there  is  an  end.' 


356  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'My  lord!'  I  cried  impulsively.  'God  forgive  me,  I 
forgot.' 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  a  grand  kind  of  patience. 
'Just  so,'  he  said.  'And  now,  go  back  to  your  mistress. 
If  I  live  I  will  answer  her  letter.  If  not  —  it  matters 
not.' 

I  was  terribly  afraid  of  him,  but  my  love  for  Marie  had 
taught  me  some  things;  and  though  he  waved  me  to  the 
door,  I  stood  my  ground  a  moment. 

'To  you,  my  lord,  no,'  I  said.  'Nothing.  But  to  her,  if 
you  fall  without  answering  her  letter ' 

'What? 'he  said. 

'  You  can  best  judge  from  the  letter,  my  lord.' 

'  You  think  that  she  would  suffer  ? '  he  answered  harshly, 
his  face  growing  red  again.  '  Well,  what  saj  you,  man  ? 
Does  she  not  deserve  to  suffer  ?  Do  you  know  what  this 
delay  may  cost  me  ?  What  it  may  mean  for  my  child  ? 
Mein  Gott,'  he  continued,  raising  his  voice  and  striking  his 
hand  heavily  on  the  table,  '  you  try  me  too  far !  Your 
mistress  was  angry.  Have  I  no  right  to  be  angry  ?  Have 
1  no  right  to  punish  ?  Go !  I  have  no  more  to  say.' 

And  I  had  to  go,  then  and  there,  enraged  with  myself, 
and  fearful  that  I  had  said  too  much  in  my  lady's  behalf. 
I  had  invited  this  last  rebuff,  and  I  did  not  see  how  I 
should  dare  to  tell  her  of  it,  or  that  I  had  exposed  her 
to  it.  I  had  made  things  worse  instead  of  better,  and  per- 
haps, after  all,  the  message  he  had  framed  might  not  have 
hurt  her  much,  or  fallen  far  short  of  her  expectations. 

I  should  have  troubled  myself  longer  about  this,  but  for 
the  increasing  bustle  and  stir  of  preparation  that  had 
spread  by  this  time  from  the  camp  to  the  city  j  and  filling 
the  way  with  a  throng  of  people  whom  the  news  affected 
in  the  most  different  ways,  soon  diverted  my  attention. 
While  some,  ready  to  welcome  any  change,  shouted  with 
joy,  others  wept  and  wrung  their  hands,  crying  out  that 
the  city  was  betrayed,  and  that  the  King  was  abandoning 
it.  Others  again  anticipated  an  easy  victory,  looked  on  the 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  357 

frowning  heights  of  the  Alta  Veste  as  already  conquered, 
and  divided  Wallenstein's  spoils.  Everywhere  I  saw  men 
laughing,  wailing,  or  shaking  hands ;  some  eating  of  their 
private  hoards,  others  buying  and  selling  horses,  others 
again  whooping  like  lunatics. 

In  the  city  the  shops,  long  shut,  were  being  opened, 
orderlies  were  riding  to  and  fro,  crowds  were  hurrying  to 
the  churches  to  pray  for  the  King's  success ;  a  general  stir 
of  relief  and  expectancy  was  abroad.  The  sunshine  still 
fell  hot  on  the  streets,  but  under  it  life  moved  and  throbbed. 
The  apathy  of  suffering  was  gone,  and  with  it  the  savage 
gloom  that  had  darkened  innumerable  brows.  From  win- 
dow and  dormer,  from  low  door-ways,  from  carven  eaves 
and  gables,  gaunt  faces  looked  down  on  the  stir,  and  pale 
lips  prayed,  and  dull  eyes  glowed  with  hope. 

While  I  was  still  a  long  way  off  I  saw  my  lady  at  the 
oriel  watching  for  me.  I  saw  her  face  light  up  when  she 
caught  sight  of  me  ;  and  if,  after  that,  I  could  have  found  any 
excuse  for  loitering  in  the  street,  or  putting  off  my  report,  I 
should  have  been  thankful.  But  there  was  no  escape.  In 
a  moment  the  animation  of  the  street  was  behind  me,  the 
silence  of  the  house  fell  round  me,  and  I  stood  before  her. 
She  was  alone.  I  think  that  Marie  had  been  with  her ;  if 
so,  she  had  sent  her  away. 

'  Well  ?  '  she  said,  looking  keenly  at  me,  and  doubtless 
drawing  her  conclusions  from  my  face.  'The  Count  was 
away  ? ' 

'  No,  my  lady.' 

'  Then  —  you  saw  him  ?  *  with  surprise. 

'  Yes.' 

'  And  gave  him  the  letter  ?  ' 

'  Yes,  my  lady.' 

'  Well '  —  this  with  impatience,  and  her  foot  began  to 
tap  the  floor  —  '  did  he  give  you  no  answer  ? ' 

'No,  my  lady.' 

She  looked  astonished,  offended,  then  troubled.  '  Neither 
in  writing  nor  by  word  of  mouth  ? '  she  said  faintly. 


358  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Only  —  that  the  King  was  about  to  give  battle,'  I  stam- 
mered; 'and  that  if  he  survived,  he  would  answer  your 
excellency.' 

She  started,  and  looked  at  me  searchingly,  her  colour 
fading  gradually.  *  That  was  all ! '  she  said  at  last, 
a  quaver  in  her  voice.  'Tell  me  all,  Martin.  Count 
Leuchtenstein  was  offended,  was  he  not  ? ' 

'  I  think  that  he  was  hurt,  your  excellency,'  I  confessed. 
<  He  thought  that  the  news  about  his  child  —  should  have 
been  sent  to  him  sooner.  That  was  all.' 

'All!'  she  ejaculated;  and  for  a  moment  she  said  no 
more,  but  with  that  word,  which  thrilled  me,  she  began  to 
pace  the  floor.  'All ! '  she  repeated  presently.  'But  I  — 
yes,  I  am  justly  punished.  I  cannot  confess  to  him ;  I  will 
confess  to  you.  Your  girl  would  have  had  me  tell  him 
this,  or  let  her  tell  him  this.  She  pressed  me ;  she  went 
on  her  knees  to  me  that  evening.  But  I  hardened  my 
heart,  and  now  I  ain  punished.  I  am  justly  punished.' 

I  was  astonished.  Not  that  she  took  it  lightly,  for  there 
was  that  in  her  tone  as  well  as  in  her  face  that  forbade  the 
thought ;  but  that  she  took  it  with  so  little  passion,  with- 
out tears  or  anger,  and  having  been  schooled  so  seldom  in 
her  life  bore  this  schooling  so  patiently.  She  stood  for  a 
time  after  she  had  spoken,  looking  from  the  window  with  a 
wistful  air,  and  her  head  drooping;  and  I  fancied  that  she 
had  forgotten  my  presence.  But  by-and-by  she  began  to 
ask  questions  about  the  camp,  and  the  preparations,  and 
what  men  thought  of  the  issue,  and  whether  Wallenstein 
would  come  down  from  his  heights  or  the  King  be  driven 
to  the  desperate  task  of  assaulting  them.  I  told  her  all 
that  I  had  heard.  Then  she  said  quietly  that  she  would 
go  to  church ;  and  she  sent  me  to  call  Fraulein  Max  to  go 
with  her. 

I  found  the  Dutch  girl  sitting  in  a  corner  with  her  back 
to  the  windows,  through  which  Marie  and  the  women  were 
gazing  at  the  bustle  and  uproar  and  growing  excitement  of 
the  street.  She  was  reading  in  a  great  dusty  book,  and  did 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  359 

not  look  up  when  I  entered.  Seeing  her  so  engrossed,  I 
had  the  curiosity  to  ask  her,  before  I  gave  her  my  lady's 
message,  what  the  book  was. 

' "  The  Siege  of  Leyden,"  '  she  said,  lifting  her  pale  face 
for  an  instant,  and  then  returning  to  her  reading.  'By  Bor.' 

I  could  not  refrain  from  smiling.     It  seemed  to  me  so 
whimsical  that  she  could  find  interest  in  the  printed  page, 
in  this  second-hand  account  of  a  siege,  and  none  in  the 
actual  thing,  though  she  had  only  to  go  to  the  window  to 
see  it  passing  before  her  eyes.     Doubtless  she  read  in  Bor 
how  men  and  women  thronged  the  streets  of  Leyden  to 
hear  each  new  rumour ;  how  at  every  crisis  the  bells  sum- 
moned the  unarmed  to  church ;  how  through  long  days  and 
nights  the  citizens  waited  for  relief  —  and  she  found  these 
things  of  interest.     But  here  were  the  same  portents  pass- 
ing before  her  eyes,  and  she  read  Bor  ! 

'  You  are  busy,  I  am  afraid,'  I  said. 

'I  am  using  my  time,'  she  answered  primly. 

'  I  am  sorry,'  I  rejoined  ;  '  for  my  lady  wants  you  to  go 
to  church  with  her.' 

She  shut  up  her  book  with  peevish  violence,  and  looked 
at  me  with  her  weak  eyes.  '  Why  does  not  your  Papist  go 
with  her  ? '  she  said  spitefully.  '  And  then  you  could  do 
without  me.  As  you  do  without  me  when  you  have  secrets 
to  tell !  But  I  suppose  you  have  brought  things  to  such  a 
pass  now  that  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  church.  And  so 
I  am  called  in  ! ' 

I 1  have  given  my  lady's  message,'  I  said  patiently. 
'Oh,  I   know  that   you  are  a  faithful  messenger!'  she 

replied  mockingly.  <  Who  writes  love  letters  grows  thin  ; 
who  carries  them,  fat.  You  are  growing  a  big  man,  Master 
Martin/ 


360  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
ST.  BARTHOLOMEW'S  DAT. 

THAT  was  a  night  that  saw  few  in  Nuremberg  sleep 
soundly.  Under  the  moon  the  great  city  lay  waiting ; 
watching  and  fasting  through  the  short  summer  night. 
Hour  by  hour  the  solemn  voices  of  sentinels,  tramping  the 
walls  and  towers,  told  the  tale  of  time  ;  to  men,  who,  hear- 
ing it,  muttered  a  prayer,  and,  turning  on  the  other  side, 
slept  again ;  to  women,  who  lay,  trembling  and  sleepless, 
their  every  breath  a  prayer.  For  who  would  see  the  next 
night  ?  Who  that  went  out  would  come  in  ?  How  nanny, 
parting  at  dawn,  would  meet  again  ?  The  howling  of 
the  dogs  that,  wild  as  wolves,  roved  round  the  camp  and 
scratched  in  the  shallow  graveyards,  made  dreary  answer. 
Many  there  were,  even  then  I  remember,  who  thought 
the  King  foolhardy,  and  preached  patience  ;  and  would  have 
had  him  still  sit  quiet  and  play  the  game  of  starvation 
against  his  enemy,  even  to  the  bitter  end.  But  these  were 
of  the  harder  sort  —  men  who,  with  brain,  might  have  been 
Wallensteins.  And  few  of  them  knew  the  real  state  of 
things.  I  say  nothing  of  the  city.  Who  died  there  in 
those  months,  in  holes  and  corners  and  dark  places,  the 
magistrates  may  have  known,  no  others.  But  in  the  camp, 
for  many  days  before  the  King  marched  out,  a  hundred 
men  died  of  plague  and  want  every  day;  so  that  in  the 
sum,  twenty  thousand  men  entered  his  lines  who  never  left 
them.  Moderate  men  set  the  loss  of  the  city  at  ten  thou- 
sand more.  Add  to  these  items  that  the  plague  was  in- 
creasing, that  all  stores  of  food  were  nearly  exhausted, 
that  if  the  issue  were  longer  delayed  the  cavalry  would 
have  no  horses  on  which  to  advance  or  retreat,  and  it  will 
be  clear,  I  think,  that  the  King,  whose  judgment  had  never 


LADY  ROTH  A.  361 

yet  deceived  him,  was  right  in  this  also.  Or,  if  he  erred, 
it  was  on  the  side  of  mercy. 

At  dawn  all  the  northern  walls  and  battlements  were 
covered  with  white-faced  women,  come  together  to  see  the 
army  leave  the  camp,  in  which  it  had  lain  so  many  weeks. 
I  went  up  with  my  lady  to  the  Burg,  whence  we  could 
command,  not  only  the  city  with  its  necklace  of  walls 
and  towers,  but  the  camp  encircling  it  like  another  and 
greater  city,  encompassed  in  its  turn  with  gates  and  ram- 
parts and  bastions.  And,  beyond  this,  we  had  an  incom- 
parable view  of  the  country ;  of  our  own  stream,  the 
Pegnitz,  gliding  away  through  the  level  plain,  to  fall  pres- 
ently into  the  Rednitz ;  of  the  Rednitz,  a  low  line  of  wil- 
lows, running  athwart  the  western  meadows ;  and  beyond 
this,  a  league  and  a  half  away,  of  the  frowning  heights  of 
the  Alta  Veste,  where  Wallenstein  hung,  vulture-like, 
waiting  to  pounce  on  the  city. 

As  the  sun  rose  behind  us,  the  shadow  of  the  Burg 
on  which  we  stood  fell  almost  to  the  foot  of  the  distant 
heights,  and  covered,  as  with  a  pall,  the  departing  army, 
which  was  beginning  to  pass  out  of  the  camp  by  the  north- 
ern and  western  gates.  At  the  same  time  the  level  beams 
shone  on  the  dark  brow  of  the  Alta  Veste,  and  caught  there 
the  flash  of  lurking  steel.  I  think  that  the  hearts  of  many 
among  us  sank  at  the  omen. 

If  so,  it  was  not  for  long,  for  the  sun  rose  swiftly  in 
the  summer  sky  and,  as  it  overtopped  our  little  eminence, 
showed  us  an  innumerable  host  pressing  out  of  the  camp 
in  long  lines,  like  ants  from  a  hill.  While  we  gazed,  they 
began  to  swarm  on  the  plain  between  the  city  and  the 
Rednitz.  The  colours  of  a  thousand  waving  pennons,  the 
sheen  of  a  forest  of  lances,  the  duller  gleam  of  cannon 
crawling  slowly  along  the  roads,  caught  the  sun  and  the 
eye ;  but  between  them  moved  other  and  darker  masses  — 
the  regiments  of  East  and  West  Gothland,  the  Smaland 
horse,  Stalhanske's  Finns,  the  Yellow  and  Blue  regiments, 
the  sombre,  steady  veterans  of  the  Swedish  force,  marching 


362  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

with  a  neatness  and  wheeling  with  a  precision,  noticeable 
even  at  that  distance. 

Doubtless  it  was  a  grand  and  splendid  sight,  this  march- 
ing out  of  a  hundred  thousand  men  —  for  the  army  fell 
little  short  of  that  prodigious  number  —  under  the  first 
captain  of  the  age,  to  fight  before  the  walls  of  the  richest 
city  in  the  world.  And  I  have  often  taken  blame  to 
myself  and  regretted  that  I  did  not  regard  it  with  closer 
attention,  and  imprint  it  more  carefully  on  my  memory. 
But  at  the  time  I  was  anxious.  Somewhere  in  that 
great  host  rode  the  Waldgrave  and  Count  Leuchtenstein  ; 
and  I  looked  for  them,  though  I  had  no  hope  of  finding 
them.  Then  little  things  continually  diverted  the  mind. 
A  single  waggon,  which  broke  down  at  the  gate  below  us, 
and  could  not  for  a  time  be  removed,  swelled  into  a  matter 
that  obstructed  my  view  of  the  whole  army ;  an  officer, 
whose  horse  ran  away  in  an  orchard  at  our  feet,  became, 
for  a  moment,  more  important  than  a  hundred  banners. 
When  I  had  done  with  these  trifles,  the  sun  had  climbed 
halfway  up  the  sky,  and  the  foremost  troops  were  already 
crossing  the  Rednitz  by  Furth,  with  a  sound  of  trumpets 
and  the  flashing  of  corselets. 

A  cannon  shot,  and  then  another,  and  then  long  rolling 
thunder  from  the  heights,  over  which  a  pillar  of  smoke 
began  to  gather.  My  lady  sighed.  Below  us,  in  the  streets, 
on  the  walls,  on  the  towers,  women  and  men  fell  on  their 
knees  and  prayed  aloud.  Across  the  plain  horsemen  gal- 
loped this  way  or  that,  hurrying  the  laggards  through  the 
dust.  The  great  battle  was  beginning. 

And  then  on  a  sudden  the  firing  ceased ;  the  pillar  of 
smoke  on  the  heights  melted  away ;  the  rear-guard  and  the 
cloud  of  dust  in  which  it  moved,  rolled  farther  and  farther 
towards  the  Rednitz  and  Furth  —  and  still  the  guns  re- 
mained silent.  It  was  noon  by  this  time  ;  soon  it  was 
afternoon.  But  the  suspense  was  so  great  that  no  one 
went  away  to  eat ;  and  still  the  silence  prevailed. 

Towards  two  o'clock  I  persuaded  the  Countess  to  go  to 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  363 

her  lodgings  to  eat;  but  within  the  hour  she  was  back 
again.  An  officer  on  the  Burg,  who  had  a  perspective  glass, 
reported  that  Wallenstein  was  moving;  that  cannon  and 
troops  could  be  seen  passing  through  the  trees  on  the  Alta 
Veste,  as  if  he  were  descending  to  meet  the  King ;  and  for 
a  time  our  excitement  rose  to  the  highest  pitch.  But  before 
sunset,  news  came  that  he  was  quiet ;  that  the  King  was 
forming  a  new  camp  beyond  the  Rednitz,  and  almost  under 
the  enemy's  guns ;  and  that  the  battle  would  take  place  on 
the  morrow. 

The  morrow  !  It  seemed  to  some  of  us,  it  was  always  the 
morrow.  Yet  I  think  that  we  slept  better  that  night. 
Earliest  dawn  saw  us  again  on  the  Burg,  staring  and  strain- 
ing our  eyes  westwards.  But  minutes  passed,  hours  passed, 
the  sun  rose  and  declined,  and  still  no  sound  of  battle 
reached  us.  "Women,  with  pinched  faces,  clutched  babies 
to  their  breasts ;  men,  pale  and  stern,  gazed  into  the  dis- 
tance. Those  who  had  murmured  that  the  King  was  too 
hasty,  murmured  now  that  he  dallied ;  for  every  day  the 
grip  of  famine  grew  tighter,  its  signs  more  marked.  This 
evening  all  my  lady's  horses  were  requisitioned  and  carried 
off,  to  mount  the  King's  staff,  it  was  said,  of  whom  some 
were  going  afoot. 

A  third  day  rose  on  the  anxious  city,  and  yet  a  fourth, 
and  still  the  armies  stood  inactive.  Communication  with 
the  new  camp  was  easy,  but  as  each  day,  and  all  day,  a 
battle  was  expected,  such  news  as  we  heard  rather  height- 
ened than  relieved  our  fears.  On  this  fourth  morning,  I 
received  a  message  from  the  Waldgrave,  asking  me  to  come 
to  him  in  the  camp ;  that  he  had  something  to  say  to  me, 
and  could  not  leave. 

I  was  not  unwilling  to  see  for  myself  how  things  stood 
there  ;  and  I  determined  to  go.  I  did  not  tell  the  Countess, 
however,  nor  Marie,  thinking  it  useless  to  alarm  them ;  but 
I  left  Steve  in  charge,  and,  bidding  him  be  on  his  guard, 
promised  to  be  back  by  noon  at  the  latest.  As  I  had  no 
horse,  I  had  to  do  the  journey  on  foot,  and  soon  was  down 


364  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

in  the  plain  myself,  threading  the  orchards  and  plodding 
along  the  trampled  roads,  where  so  many  thousands  had 
preceded  me.  The  ground  in  some  spots  was  actually 
ploughed  up ;  dust  covered  everything ;  the  trees  were 
bruised,  the  fences  broken  down.  Old  boots  and  shattered 
pike-staves  marked  the  route,  and  here  and  there  —  saddest 
sight  of  all  —  dead  horses,  fast  breeding  the  plague.  The 
sky,  for  the  first  time  for  days,  was  clouded,  and  -making  the 
most  of  the  coolness  I  gained  the  river  bank  by  nine  o'clock, 
and  crossing  found  myself  close  to  the  new  camp. 

The  army  had  just  marched  out,  yet  the  lines  seemed  full. 
The  King  had  strictly  forbidden  all  women  and  camp- 
followers  to  cross  the  Rednitz  ;  but  an  army  in  these  days 
needs  so  many  drivers  and  sutlers  that  I  found  myself  one 
among  thousands.  I  asked  for  the  Waldgrave,  and  got  as 
many  answers  as  there  were  men  within  hearing.  One  said 
that  he  was  with  his  regiment  of  horse  on  the  left  flank ; 
another,  that  he  was  with  Duke  Bernard's  staff ;  a  third,  that 
he  was  not  with  the  army  at  all.  Despairing  of  hearing 
anything  in  the  confusion,  I  was  in  two  minds  about  turning 
back ;  but  in  the  end  I  took  heart  of  grace  and  determined 
to  seek  him  in  the  field. 

Fortunately,  the  last  regiments  had  barely  cleared  the 
lines,  and  a  few  minutes'  rapid  walking  set  me  abreast  of 
the  rearmost,  which  was  hastening  into  position.  Here 
also  at  the  first  glance  I  saw  nothing  but  confusion ;  but  a 
second  resolved  the  mass  into  two  parts,  and  then  I  saw 
that  the  King's  army  lay  in  two  long  lines  facing  the 
heights.  An  interval  of  about  three  hundred  paces  divided 
the  lines,  but  behind  each  was  a  small  reserve.  In  the 
first  were  most  of  the  German  regiments,  the  second  being 
composed  of  Finns,  Swedes,  and  Northerners.  The  cavalry 
were  grouped  on  the  flanks,  and  seemed  stronger  on  the 
left  flank.  In  the  rear  of  all,  as  well  as  in  gaps  left 
between  the  pikes  and  musketmen,  were  the  King's  ord- 
nance—  drakes,  serpents,  falcons,  and  cartows,  with  the 
light  two-  and  four-pounders  for  which  he  was  famous. 


LADY  ROTH  A.  365 

Such  an  array  —  so  many  thousand  men,  gay  with  steel, 
and  a  thousand  pennons  —  seemed  to  the  eye  to  be  invin- 
cible ;  arid  I  looked  for  the  enemy.  He  was  not  to  be  seen, 
but  fronting  the  lines  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four  hundred 
paces  rose  the  Alta  Veste  —  a  steep,  rugged  hill,  scarred 
and  seamed,  and  planted  thickly  with  pines  and  jagged 
stumps  and  undergrowth.  Here  and  there  among  the  trees 
great  rocks  peeped  out,  or  dark  holes  yawned.  The  dry 
beds  of  two  torrents  furrowed  this  natural  glacis;  and 
opposite  these  I  noticed  that  our  strongest  regiments  were 
placed.  But  of  the  enemy  I  could  see  nothing,  except  here 
and  there  a  sparkle  of  steel  among  the  trees ;  I  could  hear 
nothing,  except  now  and  then  the  fall  of  a  stone,  that, 
slipping  under  an  unseen  foot,  fell  from  ledge  to  ledge 
until  it  reached  the  plain. 

Everywhere  the  hush  of  expectation  stirred  the  heart ;  for 
in  the  presence  of  that  great  host  silence  seemed  a  thing 
supernatural.  As  the  regiment  I  had  joined,  the  last  to 
arrive,  wheeled  into  position  in  the  middle  of  the  right 
wing,  I  asked  one  of  the  officers,  who  stood  near  me,  if  the 
enemy  had  retired. 

'  Wait ! '  he  said  grimly  —  he  spoke  with  a  foreign  accent 
— '  and  you  will  see.  But  to  what  regiment  do  you  belong, 
comrade  ? ' 

'To  none  here,'  I  said. 

He  looked  astonished,  and  asked  me  what  I  was  doing 
there,  then. 

I  had  my  lips  apart  to  answer  him,  when  a  trumpet 
sounded,  and  in  an  instant,  all  along  the  line,  the  Swedish 
cannon  began  to  fire,  shaking  the  earth  and  filling  the  air 
round  us  with  smoke,  that  in  a  twinkling  hid  everything. 
This  lasted  for  two  or  three  minutes  with  a  deafening 
noise ;  but  as  far  as  I  could  hear,  the  enemy  were  still 
silent.  I  was  wondering  what  would  happen  next,  and 
hoping  that  they  had  given  up  the  position,  when  my  new 
friend  touched  my  arm  and  pointed  to  the  front.  I  peered 
through  the  smoke,  and  saw  dimly  that  the  regiment  before 


366  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

us,  a  German  brigade  about  eight  hundred  strong,  was 
moving  on  at  a  run  and  making  for  the  hill.  A  minute 
elapsed,  the  smoke  rolled  between.  I  listened,  trembling. 
Afterwards  I  learned  that  at  the  same  moment  two  other 
parties  sprang  forward  and  dashed  to  the  assault.  . 

Then,  at  last,  with  an  ear-splitting  roar  that  seemed  to 
silence  our  guns,  the  enemy  spoke.  The  hill  in  front,  hid- 
den the  second  before  by  smoke,  became  in  a  moment  visible^ 
lit  up  by  a  thousand  darting  flames.  Dark  masses  seemed 
to  topple  down,  rocks  hung  midway  in  air,  and  involuntarily 
I  stepped  back  and  uttered  a  cry  of  horror.  Out  of  that 
hell  of  fire  came  an  answering  wail  of  shrieks  and  curses  — 
the  feeble  voice  of  man ! 

'  Ach  Gott ! '  I  said,  trembling.     My  hair  stood  on  end. 

'  Steady,  comrade,  steady ! '  muttered  the  man  who  had 
before  spoken  to  me.  '  Presently  it  will  be  our  turn.' 

He  had  scarcely  spoken,  when  a  man  came  riding  along 
the  front  with  his  hat  in  his  hand.  He  rode  a  white  horse, 
and  wore  no  back  or  breast,  nor,  as  far  as  I  could  see,  any 
armour. 

'Steady,  Swedes,  steady  !'  he  cried  in  a  loud  voice  —  he 
was  a  big,  stout  man  with  a  fine  presence.  '  Your  time 
will  come  by-and-by.  Then  remember  Breitenfeld  ! ' 

It  was  the  King  of  Sweden.  In  a  moment  he  was  gone; 
passing  along  the  lines  ;  and  I  drew  breath  again,  wondering 
what  would  happen  next.  I  had  not  long  to  wait.  Men 
'  came  straggling  back  across  our  front,  some  wounded,  some 
helping  their  comrades  along,  all  with  faces  ghastly  under 
the  powder-stains.  And  then  like  magic  a  new  regiment 
stood  before  us,  where  the  other  had  stood.  Again  the  King's 
guns  pealed  along  the  line,  again  I  heard  the  hoarse  cry 
'  Vor warts ! '  waited  a  minute,  and  once  more  the  hill  seemed 
to  be  rent  by  the  explosion.  From  every  cave  and  ledge  guns 
flashed  forth,  lighting  up  the  smoke.  The  roar  died  away 
again  —  slowly,  from  west  to  east  —  in  cries  and  shrieks  ; 
and  presently  a  few  men,  scores  where  there  had  been  hun- 
dreds, came  wandering  back  like  ghosts  through  the  reek. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  367 

'  This  looks  ill ! '  I  muttered.  I  was  no  longer  scared. 
The  gunpowder  was  getting  into  my  head. 

'  Pooh  ! '  my  friend  answered.  '  This  is  only  the  begin- 
ning. It  will  take  men  to  fill  that  gap.  Wait  till  our 
turn  comes.' 

By  this  time  the  Waldgrave  and  my  errand  were  forgot- 
ten, and  I  thought  only  of  the  battle.  I  watched  two  more 
assaults,  saw  two  more  regiments  hurl  themselves  vainly 
against  the  fiery  breast  of  the  hill ;  then  came  a  diversion. 
As  the  scattered  fragments  of  the  last  came  reeling  back, 
a  sudden  roar  of  many  voices  startled  me.  The  ground 
seemed  to  shake,  and  right  across  our  front  came  a  charge 
of  horse  —  out  of  the  smoke  and  into  the  smoke !  In  an 
instant  our  stragglers  were  trodden  down,  cut  up,  and 
swept  away,  before  our  eyes  and  within  shot  of  us. 

The  men  round  me  uttered  shouts  of  rage.  The  line 
swayed,  there  was  an  instant's  confusion.  Then  a  harsh 
voice  cried  above  the  tumult,  '  Steady,  Gothlanders,  steady ! 
Pikes  forward  !  Blow  your  matches  !  Steady  !  steady ! ' 
and  in  a  twinkling,  with  a  crash,  such  as  the  ninth  wave 
makes  when  it  falls  on  a  pebbly  beach,  the  horse  were  on 
us.  I  had  a  glimpse  through  the  smoke  of  rearing  breasts, 
and  floating  manes,  and  grinning  teeth,  and  of  men's  faces 
grim  and  white,  held  low  behind  the  steel ;  and  I  struck 
out  blindly  with  my  half-pike.  Still  they  came  on,  and 
something  hit  me  on  the  chest  and  I  fell :  but  instantly  a 
clash  of  long  pikes  met  over  my  body,  and  I  scrambled  to 
my  feet  unhurt!  Then  a  dozen  spurts  of  flame  leapt  out 
round  me,  and  the  horsemen  seemed  to  melt  away. 

Into  the  smoke  ;  but  before  I  had  time  to  know  that  they 
were  gone,  they  had  wheeled  and  were  back  again  like  the 
wind,  led  by  a  man  on  a  black  horse,  who  came  on  so 
gallantly  to  the  very  pike-points,  that  I  thought  it  must  be 
Pappenheim  himself.  He  wore  the  black  breastplate  and 
helmet  of  Pappenheinr's  cuirassiers ;  and  it  was  only  when 
his  horse  reared  up  on  end  within  a  pike's  length  of  me, 
and  he  fired  his  pistol  among  us,  wounding  two  men,  that 


368  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

I  espied  under  the  helmet  the  stern  face  and  flashing  eyes 
of  Tzerclas.  He  recognised  me  at  the  same  moment,  and 
hurling  his  empty  pistol  in  my  face,  tried  to  spur  his  horse 
over  me.  But  the  long  pikes  meeting  before  me  kept  him 
off,  his  men  vanished,  some  falling,  some  flying,  and  in  a 
moment  he  stood  almost  alone. 

Even  then  his  courage  did  not  fail  him.  Scornfully  eye- 
ing our  line  from  end  to  end,  he  hurled  a  bitter  taunt  at  us, 
and  wheeling  his  horse  coolly,  prepared  to  ride  off.  I 
think  that  we  should  have  let  him  go,  in  pure  admiration 
of  his  courage.  But  a  wounded  man  on  whom  he  trod 
houghed  the  horse  with  his  sword.  In  a  moment  he  was 
down,  and  two  men  running  out  of  the  line,  fixed  him  to 
the  earth  with  their  pikes. 

I  confess,  for  myself,  I  would  have  spared  him  for  his 
courage ;  and  I  ran  to  him  to  see  if  he  was  dead.  He  was 
not  quite  gone.  He  recognised  me,  and  tried  to  speak. 
Forgetting  the  dangers  round  me,  the  uproar  and  tumult, 
the  dim  figures  of  men  and  horses  flying  through  the 
smoke,  I  knelt  down  by  him. 

'  What  is  it  ? '  I  said.     After  all,  he  was  my  lady's  cousin. 

'  Tell  him  —  tell  him  —  the  child  !  He  will  never  get 
it ! '  he  breathed.  With  each  word  the  blood-stained  froth 
rose  to  his  lips,  and  he  clutched  my  hand  in  a  cold  grip. 

He  strove  to  say  something  more,  and  raised  himself 
with  a  last  effort  on  his  elbow.  '  Tell  her,'  he  gasped,  his 
dark  face  distorted  —  •  tell  her  —  I  —  I  — 

No  more.  His  eyes  turned,  his  head  fell  back.  He  was 
dead.  What  he  would  have  said  of  my  lady,  whether  he 
would  have  sent  her  a  message  or  what,  no  man  will  know 
here.  But  I  fancied  it  like  the  man,  who  might  have  been 
great  had  he  ever  given  a  thought  to  others,  that  his  last 
word  was  —  "  I." 

His  head  was  scarcely  down  before  I  had  to  run  back 
within  the  pikes.  A  fresh  charge  of  horse  swept  over  him, 
we  received  them  with  a  volley ;  they  broke,  and  a  Swedish 
regiment,  the  West  Gothland  horse,  rode  them  down. 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  369 

Meanwhile  our  manoeuvres  had  brought  us  insensibly  into 
the  first  line.  I  found  that  we  were  close  under  the  hill, 
and  I  was  not  surprised  when  a  handful  of  horse  whirled 
up  to  us  out  of  the  melee,  and  one,  disengaging  himself 
from  the  others,  rode  along  our  front.  It  was  the  King. 
His  face  was  stained  with  powder,  his  horse  was  bleeding, 
a  ball  had  ripped  up  his  boot ;  it  was  said  that  he  had  been 
placing  and  pointing  cannon  with  his  own  hands.  But  as 
the  regiment  greeted  him  with  a  hoarse  cheer,  he  smiled  as 
if  he  had  been  in  a  ball-room. 

He  raised  his  hand  for  silence ;  such  silence  as  could  be 
obtained  where  every  moment  men  shot  off  a  cannon,  and 
at  no  great  distance  a  mortal  combat  was  in  progress. 

'  Men  of  Gothland ! '  he  cried,  in  a  clear,  ringing  voice, 
'  it  is  your  turn  now !  You  are  my  children.  Take  me 
this  hill !  Be  steady,  strike  home,  flinch  not !  Show  these 
Germans  what  you  can  do!  The  word  is,  God  with  us. 
Remember  St.  Bartholomew's,  and  Forward !  Forward ! 
Forward ! ' 

My  heart  beat  furiously;  but  there  was  no  retreat. 
Rather  than  be  left  standing  on  the  ground,  I  would  have 
died  there.  In  a  moment  we  were  moving  on  elbow  to 
elbow,  with  a  stern,  heavy  step.  Some  one  struck  up  a 
Swedish  psalm,  and  to  the  thunder  of  its  rhythm  we  strode 
on  —  on  to  the  very  foot  of  the  hill ;  on,  until  we  reached 
the  rough  shale,  and  the  rugged  steep  stood  above  us. 
With  a  gallant  shout  an  officer- flung  his  hat  on  to  the 
slope,  a  score  of  Ritt-Meisters  sprang  forward  together; 
and  then  for  a  moment  we  and  all  things  seemed  to  stand 
still.  The  wood  above  us  belched  fire,  the  eyes  were 
blinded,  the  ears  stunned,  rocks  and  stones  rolled  down, 
all  creation  seemed  to  be  falling  on  us  in  fearful  ruin. 
Men  were  hurled  this  way  and  that,  or  fell  in  their  places, 
or,  reeling  to  and  fro,  clutched  one  another.  For  an  in- 
stant, I  say,  we  stood  still. 

But  for  an  instant  only.  Then  with  a  shout  of  rage 
the  Swedes  sprang  forward,  and  grasping  boughs,  stumps, 

24 


370  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

rocks,  swung  themselves  up,  doing  such  things  in  their 
fury  as  no  cool  man  could  do.  A  row  of  jagged  stakes 
barred  the  way ;  men  set  their  naked  breasts  against  them, 
and  others  climbed  over  on  their  shoulders.  Bleeding, 
wounded,  singed,  torn  by  splinters,  all  who  lived  climbed. 
To  get  up  —  up  —  up  —  higher,  in  face  of  the  storm  of  shot 
and  iron ;  up,  over  the  bursting  mines  and  through  the 
smoke ;  up,  to  where  they  stood  and  butchered  us,  was  the 
only  instinct  left. 

And  we  did  get  up  —  to  a  bastion,  jutting  from  the  hill- 
side, where  a  company  of  picked  men  with  pikes  and  three 
cannons  waited  for  us  behind  a  breastwork.  They  thought 
to  stop  us,  and  stood  firm ;  our  men  were  mad.  Flinging 
themselves  against  the  mouths  of  the  cannon,  they  scaled 
the  work  in  a  moment,  and  left  not  one  defender  alive ! 

God  with  us ! 

Stern  and  high  the  shout  rang  out ;  but  breath  was  every- 
thing, and  the  scarp  still  rose  above  us  and  the  shot  still 
tore  our  ranks !  On !  Up  a  torrent  bed  now,  round  one 
corner  and  another,  to  where  we  were  a  little  out  of  the 
line  of  fire,  and  an  overhanging  shoulder  covered  us.  Here 
we  had  room  to  take  breath ;  and  for  the  first  time,  some 
hope  of  life,  of  ultimate  escape,  entered  my  breast.  The 
officer  who  led  us  —  I  learned  afterwards  that  he  was  the 
great  General  Torstensohn  —  cried,  '  Well  done,  Swedes  ! ' 
and  with  the  confidence  of  giants  we  were  once  more  breast- 
ing the  ascent,  when  a  withering  volley,  poured  in  at  short 
range,  checked  the  head  of  the  column.  Before  we  could 
recover  way,  a  body  of  pikes  rushed  to  meet  us,  and  in  an 
instant,  having  the  vantage  of  the  ground,  rolled  us,  still 
fighting  desperately,  down  the  steep.  The  general  was 
swept  away,  the  Eitt-Meisters  were  down.  Once  we  ral- 
lied, but  ineffectually.  The  enemy  were  reinforced,  and  in 
a  moment  the  rout  was  complete. 

At  the  moment  the  tide  turned  and  our  men  fell  back,  I 
happened  to  be  against  the  rock-wall,  in  something  of  a 
niche;  and  the  stream  passed  me  by.  I  had  two  slight 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  371 

wounds,  and  I  stood  an  instant,  giddy  and  confused,  taking 
breath.  The  instant  showed  me  my  comrades  in  the  act  of 
being  slaughtered  one  by  one,  and  a  great  horror  seized  me. 
I  found  no  hope  anywhere.  Below  were  the  cruel  pikes, 
in  a  moment  their  savage  bearers  would  be  reascending; 
above  were  the  enemy.  But  above,  if  I  climbed  on,  I 
might  live  a  little  while;  and  in  that  desperate  hope  I 
scrambled  out  of  the  torrent  bed  and  up  the  sheer  hill  on 
the  right.  Two  or  three  saw  me  from  the  torrent  bed,  and 
fired  at  me ;  and  others  shouted,  and  began  to  follow.  But 
I  only  pressed  on,  right  up  the  scarp,  which  was  there  like 
the  side  of  a  house. 

A  dozen  times  I  all  but  fell  back;  still  in  a  fever  of 
dread  I  kept  on.  The  sweat  poured  down  me;  I  had  no 
hope  or  aim,  I  thought  only  of  the  pikes  behind.  Pres- 
ently I  came  to  a  jutting  shoulder  that  all  but  overhung 
me ;  to  pass  it  seemed  to  be  impossible.  But  in  my  frenzy 
I  did  the  impossible.  I  swung  myself  from  root  to  root; 
where  one  stone  gave,  I  clutched  another,  and  yet  another ; 
I  hung  on  with  tooth  and  nail.  I  flattened  myself  against 
the  rock.  I  heard  the  pursuers  rail  and  curse,  heard  the 
bullets  strike  the  earth  round  me,  and  then  in  a  moment  I 
was  up. 

Up ;  but  only  to  come  instantly  on  a  wall  crossing  the 
steep  and  barring  my  way,  and  to  find  a  dozen  pikes 
levelled  at  my  breast.  Desperate,  giving  up  hope  at  last  — 
I  had  long  dropped  my  weapon  —  I  cried  mechanically, 
'  God  with  us  ! '  and  threw  up  my  arms. 

I  nearly  fell  backwards  —  for  what  did  it  matter  ?  But 
the  men  were  quick.  In  a  moment  one  had  me  by  the 
collar.  And  God!  They  were  friends!  They  were 
friends,  and  I  was  saved. 

One  of  the  first  faces  that  I  saw,  as  I  leaned  breathless 
against  the  wall,  unable  for  the  time  to  answer  the  ques- 
tions that  poured  upon  me,  was  the  Waldgrave's —  the 
Waldgrave's,  with  the  light  of  battle  in  his  eyes,  a  laugh 
of  triumph  on  his  lips.  He  was  wounded,  bandaged, 


372  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

blackened,  his  fair  hair  singed;  but  he  was  happy. 
Presently  I  understood  why;  and  why  I  was  safe  and 
among  friends. 

'  A  little  earlier,'  he  said  —  he  seemed  in  his  exaltation 
not  a  whit  surprised  to  see  me  —  'and  you  would  have  had 
a  different  reception,  Martin.  We  only  turned  them  out  of 
this  an  hour  ago ! ' 

All  his  superior  officers  had  fallen,  and  his  had  been  the 
voice  that  had  cheered  on  the  forlorn,  to  which  he  was 
attached  —  acting  from  the  right  flank  —  and  heartened 
them,  just  when  all  seemed  lost,  to  make  one  more  effort, 
ending  in  the  capture  of  this  sconce.  Joined  to  the  mass 
of  the  hill  only  by  a  narrow  neck,  it  commanded  the  enemy's 
position. 

'  We  only  want  cannon  ! '  he  said,  and  in  a  moment  I  was 
as  one  of  the  garrison.  '  Three  guns,  and  the  day  is  ours. 
When  will  they  come  ?  When  will  they  come  ? ' 

'  You  have  sent  for  them  ?  ' 

'  I  have  sent  a  dozen  times.' 

And  he  sent  as  many  times  more ;  while  we,  a  mere 
handful,  tired  and  worn  and  famished,  but  every  man  with 
a  hero's  thoughts,  leaned  against  the  breastwork,  and  gazed 
down  into  the  plain,  where,  under  the  smoke,  pigmy  troops 
rushed  to  and  fro,  and  Nuremberg's  fate  hung  in  the 
balance.  In  an  hour  it  would  be  night.  And  still  no 
reinforcements  came,  no  cannon. 

Thrice  the  enemy  tried  to  drive  us  out.  But  the  neck 
was  narrow,  and,  pressed  along  their  front  by  three  assaults, 
they  came  on  half-heartedly  and  fell  back  lightly ;  and  we 
held  it.  In  the  mean  time,  it  became  more  and  more  clear 
that  elsewhere  the  day  was  going  against  us.  Until  night 
fell,  and  through  long  hours  of  darkness,  forlorn  after  for- 
lorn was  flung  against  the  heights — in  vain.  Regiment 
after  regiment,  the  core  of  the  Swedish  army,  came  on  un- 
daunted, only  to  be  repulsed  with  awful  loss ;  with  the 
single  exception  of  the  Waldgrave's  little  sconce  not  a 
foot  of  the  hill  was  captured. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA,  373 

About  nine  o'clock  reinforcements  reached  us,  and  some 
food,  but  no  guns.  Two  hours  later  the  King  drew  sullenly 
back  into  his  lines,  and  the  attack  ceased.  Even  then  we 
looked  to  see  the  fight  resumed  with  the  dawn  ;  we  looked 
still  for  victory  and  revenge.  We  could  not  believe  that  all 
was  over.  But  towards  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  rain 
fell,  rendering  the  slopes  slippery  and  impassable ;  and 
with  the  first  flush  of  sunrise  came  an  order  from  Prince 
Bernard  directing  us  to  withdraw. 

Perhaps  the  defeat  fell  as  lightly  on  the  Waldgrave  as 
on  any  man,  though  to  him  it  was  a  huge  disappointment. 
For  he  alone  of  all  had  made  his  footing  good.  I  thought 
that  it  was  that  which  made  him  look  so  cheerful ;  but  while 
the  rank  and  file  were  falling  in,  he  came  to  me. 

'  Well,  Martin,'  he  said.     (  We  are  both  veterans  now.' 

I  laughed.  The  rain  had  ceased.  The  sun  was  getting 
up,  and  the  air  was  fresh.  Far  off  in  the  plain  the  city 
sparkled  with  a  thousand  gems.  I  thought  of  Marie,  I 
thought  of  life,  and  I  thanked  God  that  I  was  alive. 

'  I  have  an  errand  for  you,'  he  continued,  a  laugh  in  his 
eyes.  '  Come  and  see  what  we  took  yesterday,  besides  this 
sconce.' 

At  the  back  of  the  work  were  two  low  huts,  that  had 
perhaps  been  guardrooms  or  officers'  quarters.  He  led  the 
way  into  one,  bending  his  head  as  he  passed  under  the  low 
lintel. 

1  An  odd  place,'  he  said. 

'Yes,  my  lord.' 

'  Yes,  but  I  mean  —  an  odd  place  for  what  I  found  here,' 
he  rejoined.  '  Look,  man.' 

There  were  two  low  bunks  in  the  hut,  and  on  these  and 
on  the  floor  lay  a  medley  of  soldiers'  cloaks,  pouches, 
weapons,  and  ammunition.  There  was  blood  on  the  one 
wall  and  the  door  was  shattered,  and  in  a  corner,  thrown 
one  on  another,  were  two  corpses.  The  Waldgrave  took 
no  heed  of  these,  but  stepped  to  the  corner  bunk  and  drew 
away  a  cloak  that  lay  on  it.  Something  —  the  sound  in 


374  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

that  place  scared  me  as  a  cannon-shot  would  not  have  — 
began  to  wail.  On  the  bed,  staring  at  us  between  tears 
and  wonder,  lay  a  child. 

'  So  ! '  I  said,  and  stared  at  it. 

'  Do  you  know  it  ? '  the  Waldgrave  asked. 

*  Know  it  ?     No,'  I  answered. 

'Are  you  sure  ?  '  he  replied,  smiling.     '  Look  again.' 

'  Not  I ! '  I  said.  '  How  did  it  come  here  ?  A  child  !  A 
baby  !  It  is  horrible.' 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  'We  found  it  in  this  hut; 
in  that  bed.  A  man  to  whom  we  gave  quarter  said  it 
was ' 

'No!'  I  shouted. 

'  Yes,'  he  answered,  nodding. 

'  Tzerclas'  child  !  Count  Leuchtenstein's  child !  Do  you 
mean  it  ? '  I  cried. 

He  nodded.  'Tzerclas' child,  the  man  said.  The  other's 
child,  I  guess.  Nay,  I  am  certain.  It  knows  your  girl's 
name.' 

'  Marie's  ? ' 

The  Waldgrave  nodded.  'Take  it  up,'  he  said.  'And 
take  charge  of  it.' 

But  I  only  stared  at  it.  The  thing  seemed  too  wonderful 
to  be  true.  I  told  the  Waldgrave  of  Tzerclas'  death,  and  of 
what  he  had  muttered  about  the  child. 

'  Yes,  he  was  a  clever  man,'  the  Waldgrave  answered. 
'  But,  you  see,  God  has  proved  too  clever  for  him.  Come, 
take  it,  man.' 

I  took  it.  '  I  had  better  carry  it  straight  to  the  Count's 
quarters  ? '  I  said. 

The  Waldgrave  paused,  looked  away,  then  looked  at  me. 
•  No,'  he  said  at  last,  and  slowly,  '  take  it  to  Lady  Rotha. 
Let  her  give  it  to  him.' 

I  understood  him,  I  guessed  all  he  meant ;  but  I  made  no 
answer,  and  we  went  out  together.  The  rain  was  still  in 
the  air,  but  the  sky  was  blue,  the  distance  clear.  The  spire 
of  the  distant  city  shone  like  my  lady's  amethysts,  Below 
us  the  dead  lay  in  thousands,  But  we  were  alive, 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  375 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

A    WINGLESS    CUPID. 

THAT  was  a  dreary  procession  that  a  little  before  noon  on 
the  25th  of  August  wound  its  way  back  into  Nuremberg. 
The  King,  repulsed  but  not  defeated,  remained  in  his  camp 
beyond  the  Rednitz,  and  with  trumpets  sounding  and  ban- 
ners displayed,  strove  vainly  to  tempt  his  wily  antagonist 
into  the  plain.  Those  who  returned  on  this  day,  therefore, 
carrying  with  them  the  certain  news  of  ill-fortune,  were  the 
wounded  and  the  useless,  a  few  prisoners,  two  or  three 
envoys,  half  a  dozen  horse-dealers,  and  a  train  of  waggons 
bearing  crippled  and  dying  men  to  the  hospital. 

Of  this  company  I  made  one,  and  I  doubt  if  there  were 
six  others  who  bore  in  their  breasts  hearts  as  light,  or  who 
could  look  on  the  sunny  roofs  and  peaked  gables  of  the  city 
with  eyes  as  cheerful.  Prince  Bernard  had  spoken  kindly 
to  me  ;  the  King  had  sent  for  me  to  inquire  where  I  last 
saw  General  Torstensohn ;  I  had  stood  up  a  man  amongst 
men  ;  and  I  deemed  these  things  cheaply  bought  at  the  cost 
of  a  little  blood.  On  the  other  hand,  the  horrors  of  the 
day  were  still  so  fresh  in  my  mind  that  my  heart  over- 
flowed with  thankfulness  and  the  love  of  life ;  feelings 
which  welled  up  anew  whenever  I  looked  abroad  and  saw 
the  Rednitz  flowing  gently  between  the  willows,  or  looked 
within  and  pictured  the  Werra  rippling  swiftly  down  the 
shallows  under  cool  shade  of  oak  and  birch  and  alder. 

Add  to  all  these  things  one  more.  I  had  just  learned 
that  Count  Leuchtenstein  lived  and  was  unhurt,  and  on  the 
saddle  before  me  under  a  cloak  I  bore  his  son.  More  than 
one  asked  me  what  booty  I  had  taken,  where  others  had 
found  only  lead  or  steel,  that  I  hugged  my  treasure  so 
closely  and  smiled  to  myself.  But  I  gave  them  no  answer. 


376  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

I   only  held  the   child  the  tighter,  and  pushing  on  more 
quickly,  reached  the  city  a  little  after  twelve. 

I  say  nothing  of  the  gloomy  looks  and  sad  faces  that  I 
encountered  at  the  gate,  of  the  sullen  press  that  would 
hardly  give  way,  or  of  the  thousand  questions  I  had  to 
parry.  I  hardened  my  heart,  and,  disengaging  myself  as 
quickly  as  I  could,  I  rode  straight  to  my  lady's  lodgings ; 
and  it  was  fortunate  that  I  did  so.  For  I  was  only  just  in 
time.  As  I  dismounted  at  the  door  —  receiving  such  a 
welcome  from  Steve  and  the  other  men  as  almost  dis- 
covered my  treasure,  whether  I  would  or  no  —  I  saw  Count 
Leuchtenstein  turn  into  the  street  by  the  other  end  and 
ride  slowly  towards  me,  a  trooper  behind  him. 

The  men  would  have  detained  me.  They  wanted  to  hear 
the  news  and  the  details  of  the  battle,  and  where  I  had 
been.  But  I  thrust  my  way  through  them  and  darted  in. 

Quick  as  I  was,  one  was  still  quicker,  and  as  I  went  out 
of  the  light  into  the  cool  darkness  of  the  entrance,  flew 
down  the  stairs  to  meet  me,  and,  before  I  could  see,  was  in 
my  arms,  covering  me  with  tears  and  laughter  and  little 
cries  of  thanksgiving.  How  the  child  fared  between  us  I 
do  not  know,  for  for  a  minute  I  forgot  it,  my  lady,  the 
Count,  everything,  in  the  sweetness  of  that  greeting  ;  in  the 
clinging  of  those  slender  arms  round  my  neck,  and  the  joy 
,of  the  little  face  given  up  to  my  kisses. 

But  in  a  moment,  the  child,  being,  I  suppose,  half  choked 
between  us,  uttered  a  feeble  cry  ;  and  Marie  sprang  back, 
startled  and  scared,  and  perhaps  something  more. 

'  What  is  it  ?  '  she  cried,  beginning  to  tremble.  '  What 
have  you  got  ? ' 

I  did  not  know  how  to  tell  her  on  the  instant,  and  I  had 
no  time  to  prepare  her,  and  I  stood  stammering. 

Suddenly,  'Give  it  to  me  ! '  she  cried  in  a  strange  voice. 

But  I  thought  that  in  the  fulness  of  her  joy  and  surprise 
she  might  swoon  or  something,  and  I  held  back.  'You 
won't  drop  it,'  I  said  feebly,  '  when  you  know  what 
it  is  ?  ' 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  377 

Her  eyes  flashed  in  the  half  light.  '  Fool ! '  she  cried  — 
yes,  though  I  could  scarcely  believe  my  ears.  '  Give  it  to 
me.' 

I  was  so  taken  aback  that  I  gave  it  up  meekly  on  the 
spot.  She  flew  off  with  it  into  a  corner,  and  jealously 
turned  her  back  on  me  before  she  uncovered  the  child ; 
then  all  in  a  moment  she  fell  to  crying,  and  laughing, 
crooning  over  it  and  making  strange  noises.  I  heard  the 
Count's  horse  at  the  door,  and  I  stepped  to  her. 

'  You  are  sure  that  it  is  your  child  ? '  I  said. 

'  Sure  ? '  she  cried ;  and  she  darted  a  glance  at  me  that 
for  scorn  outdid  all  my  lady's. 

After  that  I  had  no  doubt  left.  'Then  bring  it  to  the 
Countess,  my  girl,'  I  said.  'He  is  here.  And  it  is  she 
who  should  give  it  to  him.' 

'Who  is  here  ?  '  she  cried  sharply. 

'Count  Leuchtenstein.' 

She  stared  at  me  for  a  moment,  and  then  suddenly 
quailed  and  broke  down,  as  it  were.  She  blushed  crimson ; 
her  eyes  looked  at  me  piteously,  like  those  of  a  beaten 
dog. 

'  Oh,'  she  said,  '  I  forgot  that  it  was  you  ! ' 

'Never  mind  that,'  I  said.     '  Take  the  child  to  my  lady.' 

She  nodded,  in  quick  comprehension.  As  the  Count 
crossed  the  threshold  below,  she  sped  up  the  stairs,  and 
I  after  her.  My  lady  was  in  the  parlour,  walking  the 
length  of  it  impatiently,  with  a  set  face ;  but  whether  the 
impatience  was  on  my  account,  because  I  had  delayed  below 
so  long,  or  on  the  Count's,  whose  arrival  she  had  probably 
seen  from  the  window,  I  will  not  say,  for  as  I  entered  and 
before  she  could  speak,  Marie  ran  to  her  with  the  child 
and  placed  it  in  her  arms. 

My  lady  turned  for  a  moment  quite  pale.  '  What  is  it  ?  ' 
she  said  faintly,  holding  it  from  her  awkwardly. 

Marie  cried  out  between  laughing  and  crying,  'The 
child!  The  child,  my  lady.' 

'And  Count  Leuchtenstein  is  on  the  stairs,'  I  said. 


378  MY  LADY  ROTHA. 

The  colour  swept  back  into  the  Countess's  face  in  a  flood 
and  covered  it  from  brow  to  neck.  For  a  moment,  taken 
by  surprise,  she  forgot  her  pride  and  looked  at  us  shyly, 
timidly.  '  Where  —  where  did  you  recover  it  ? '  she 
murmured. 

'  The  Waldgrave  recovered  it,'  I  answered  hurriedly, 
1  and  sent  it  to  your  excellency,  that  you  might  give  it  to 
Count  Leuchtenstein.' 

'  The  Waldgrave ! '  she  cried. 

'Yes,  my  lady,  with  that  message,'  I  answered  strenuously. 

The  Countess  looked  to  Marie  for  help.  I  could  hear 
steps  on  the  stairs  —  at  the  door ;  and  I  suppose  that  the 
two  women  settled  it  with  their  eyes.  For  no  words 
passed,  but  in  a  twinkling  Marie  snatched  the  child,  which 
was  just  beginning  to  cry,  from  the  Countess  and  ran  away 
with  it  through  an  inner  door.  As  that  door  fell  to,  the 
other  opened,  and  Ernst  announced  Count  Leuchtenstein. 

He  came  in,  looking  embarrassed,  and  a  little  stiff. 
His  buff  coat  showed  marks  of  the  corselet  —  he  had  not 
changed  it  —  and  his  boots  were  dusty.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  he  brought  in  a  faint  reek  of  powder  with  him,  but  I 
forgot  this  the  next  moment  in  the  look  of  melancholy 
kindness  I  espied  in  his  eyes  —  a  look  that  enabled  me  for 
the  first  time  to  see  him  as  my  lady  saw  him. 

She  met  him  very  quietly,  with  a  heightened  colour,  but 
the  most  perfect  self-possession.  I  marvelled  to  see  how 
in  a  moment  she  was  herself  again. 

'I  rejoice  to  see  you  safe,  Count  Leuchtenstein,'  she  said. 
'  I  heard  early  this  morning  that  you  were  unhurt.' 

'Yes,'  he  answered.  *1  have  not  a  scratch,  where  so 
many  younger  men  have  fallen.' 

'  Alas  !  there  will  be  tears  on  many  hearths,'  my  lady 
said. 

'  Yes.  Poor  Germany  ! '  he  answered.  '  Poor  Germany ! 
It  is  a  fearful  thing.  God  forgive  us  who  have  to  do  with 
the  making  of  war.  Yet  we  may  hope,  as  long  as  our 
young  men  show  such  valour  and  courage  as  some  showed 


MY  LADY  ROTH  A.  379 

yesterday;  and  none  more  conspicuously  than  the  Wald- 
grave  Rupert.' 

'I  am  glad,'  niy  lady  said,  colouring,  'that  he  justified 
your  interference  on  his  behalf,  Count  Leuchtenstein.  It 
was  right  that  he  should  ;  and  right  that  I  should  do  more 
—  ask  your  pardon  for  the  miserable  ingratitude  of  which 
my  passion  made  me  guilty  a  while  ago.' 

'  Countess  ! '  he  cried. 

'No,'  she  said,  stopping  him  with  a  gesture  full  of  dig- 
nity. '  You  must  hear  me  out,  for  now  that  I  have  con- 
fessed, we  are  quits.  I  behaved  ill  —  so  ill  that  I  deserved 
a  heavy  punishment.  You  thought  so  —  and  inflicted  it ! ' 

Her  voice  dropped  with  the  last  words.  He  turned  very 
red,  and  looked  at  her  wistfully ;  but  I  suppose  that  he 
dared  not  draw  conclusions.  For  he  remained  silent,  and 
she  resumed,  more  lightly. 

'So  Eupert  did  well  yesterday?'  she  said.  'I  am  glad, 
for  he  will  be  pleased.' 

'  He  did  more  than  well ! '  Count  Leuchtenstein  answered, 
with  awkward  warmth.  '  He  distinguished  himself  in  the 
face  of  the  whole  army.  His  courage  and  coolness  were 

above  praise.  As  we  have '  The  Count  paused,  then 

blundered  on  hastily  —  'quarrelled,  dare  I  say,  Countess, 
over  him,  I  am  anxious  to  make  him  the  ground  of  our 
reconciliation  also.  I  have  formed  the  highest  opinion 
of  him;  and  I  hope  to  advance  his  interests  in  every 
way.' 

My  lady  raised  her  eyebrows.  'With  me?'  she  said 
quaintly. 

The  Count  fidgeted,  and  looked  very  ill  at  ease.  'May  I 
speak  quite  plainly  ?'  he  said  at  last. 

'Surely/  the  Countess  answered. 

'Then  it  can  be  no  secret  to  you  that  he  has  —  formed  an 
attachment  to  you.  It  would  be  strange  if  he  had  not/  the 
Count  added  gallantly. 

'And  he  has  asked  you  to  speak  for  him?'  my  lady 
exclaimed,  in  an  odd  tone. 


380  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

*  No,  not  exactly.     But ' 

'  You  think  that  it  —  it  would  be  a  good  match  for  me,' 
she  said,  her  voice  trembling,  but  whether  with  tears  or 
laughter,  I  could  not  tell.  '  You  think  that,  being  a  woman, 
and  for  the  present  houseless,  and  almost  friendless,  1 
should  do  well  to  marry  him  ? ' 

'He  is  a  brave  and  honest  man,'  the  Count  muttered, 
looking  all  ways  —  and  looking  very  miserable.  'And  he 
loves  you ! '  he  added  with  au  effort. 

'  And  you  think  that  I  should  marry  him  ? '  my  lady 
persisted  mercilessly.  'Answer  me,  if  you  please,  Count 
Leuchtenstein,  or  you  are  a  poor  ambassador.' 

'I  am  not  an  ambassador,'  he  replied,  thus  goaded.  'But 
I  thought  - 

'  That  I  ought  to  marry  him  ?  ' 

'  If  you  love  him,'  the  Count  muttered. 

My  lady  took  a  turn  to  the  window,  looked  out,  and  came 
back.  When  she  spoke  at  last,  I  could  not  tell  whether  the 
harshness  in  her  voice  was  real  or  assumed. 

'  I  see  how  it  is,'  she  said,  '  very  clearly,  Count  Leuchten- 
stein. I  have  confessed,  and  I  have  been  punished ;  but  I 
am  not  forgiven.  I  must  do  something  more,  it  seems. 
Wait!' 

He  was  going  to  protest,  to  remonstrate,  to  deny;  but 
she  was  gone,  out  through  the  door,  to  return  on  the 
.instant  with  something  in  her  arms.  She  took  it  to  the 
Count  and  held  it  out  to  him. 

'  See ! '  she  said,  her  voice  broken  by  sobs ;  '  it  is  your 
child.  God  has  given  it  back  again.  God  has  given  it  to 
you,  because  you  trusted  in  Him.  It  is  your  child/ 

He  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone.  '  Is  it  ? '  he  said  at  last, 
in  a  low,  strained  voice.  'Is  it  ?  Then  thank  God  for  His 
mercy  to  my  house.  But  how  —  shall  I  know  it  ? ' 

'The  girl  knows  it.  Marie  knows  it,'  my  lady  cried, 
'  and  the  child  knows  her.  And  Martin  —  Martin  will  teL 
you  how  it  was  found  —  how  the  Waldgrave  found  it.' 

'  The  Waldgrave  ? '  the  Count  cried. 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  381 

'Yes,  the  Waldgrave,'  she  answered;  'and  he  sent  it  to 
me  to  give  to  you.' 

Then  I  went  to  him  and  told  him  all  I  knew  ;  and  Marie, 
who,  like  my  lady,  was  ^aughing  through  her  tears,  took 
the  child,  and  showed  him  how  it  knew  her,  and  remem- 
bered my  name  and  my  lady's,  and  had  this  mark  and  that 
mark,  and  so  forth,  until  he  was  convinced ;  and  while  in 
that  hour  all  Nuremberg  outside  our  house  mourned  and 
lamented,  within,  I  think,  there  were  as  thankful  hearts  as 
anywhere  in  the  world,  so  that  even  Steve,  when  he  came 
peeping  through  the  door  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  went 
blubbering  down  again. 

Presently  Count  Leuchten  stein  said  something  handsome 
to  Marie  about  her  care  of  the  child,  and  slipping  off  a  gold 
chain  that  he  was  wearing,  threw  it  round  her  neck,  with  a 
pleasant  word  to  me.  Marie,  covered  with  blushes,  took 
this  as  a  signal  to  go,  and  would  have  left  the  child  with 
his  father ;  but  the  boy  objected  strongly,  and  the  Count, 
vith  a  laugh,  bade  her  take  him. 

'If  he  were  a  little  older!'  he  said.  'But  I  have  not 
much  accommodation  for  a  child  in  my  quarters.  Next 
week  I  am  going  to  Cassel,  and  then  — 

'You  will  take  him  with  you  ? '  my  lady  said. 

The  Count  looked  at  the  closing  door,  as  it  fell  to  behind 
Marie,  and  when  the  latch  dropped,  he  spoke.  '  Countess,' 
he  said  bluntly,  '  have  I  misunderstood  you  ?  ' 

My  lady's  eyes  fell.  'I  do  not  know,'  she  said  softly. 
'  I  should  think  not.  I  have  spoken  very  plainly.' 

'  I  am  almost  an  old  man,'  he  said,  looking  at  her  kindly, 
'and  you  are  a  young  woman.  Have  you  been  amusing 
yourself  at  my  expense  ? ' 

The  Countess  shook  her  head.  '  No/  she  said,  with  a 
gleam  of  laughter  in  her  eyes ;  '  I  have  done  with  that.  I 
began  to  amuse  myself  with  General  Tzerclas,  and  I  found 
it  so  perilous  a  pleasure  that  I  determined  to  forswear  it. 
Though,'  she  added,  looking  down  and  playing  with  her 
bracelet,  '  why  I  should  tell  you  this,  I  do  not  know.' 


382  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Because  —  henceforth  I  hope  that  you  will  tell  me 
everything,'  the  Count  said  suddenly. 

•'  Very  well,'  my  lady  answered,  colouring  deeply. 

'  And  will  be  my  wife  ?  ' 

4 1  will  —  if  you  desire  it.' 

The  Count  walked  to  the  window  and  returned.  '  That 
is  not  enough,'  he  said,  looking  at  her  with  a  smile  of  infinite 
tenderness.  'It  must  not  be  unless  you  desire  it;  for  I 
have  all  to  gain,  you  little  or  nothing.  Consider,  child,'  he 
went  on,  laying  his  hand  gently  on  her  shoulder  as  she  sat, 
but  not  now  looking  at  her.  '  Consider  ;  I  am  a  man  past 
middle  age.  I  have  been  married  already,  and  the  portrait 
of  my  child's  mother  stands  always  on  my  table.  Even  of 
the  life  left  to  me  —  a  soldier's  life  — I  can  offer  you  only 
a  part ;  the  rest  I  owe  to  my  country,  to  the  poor  and  the 
peasant  who  cry  for  peace,  to  my  master,  than  whom  God 
has  given  no  State  a  better  ruler,  to  God  Himself,  who 
places  power  in  my  hands.  All  these  I  cannot  and  will  not 
desert.  Countess,  I  love  you,  and  men  can  still  love  when 
youth  is  past.  But  I  would  far  rather  never  feel  the  touch 
of  your  hand  or  of  your  lips  than  I  would  give  up  these 
things.  Do  you  understand  ? ' 

'  Perfectly,'  my  lady  said,  looking  steadfastly  before  her, 
though  her  heaving  breast  betrayed  her  emotion.  '  And  I 
desire  to  be  your  wife,  and  to  help  you  in  these  things  as 
the  greatest  happiness  God  can  give  me.' 

The  Count  stooped  gently  and  kissed  her  forehead. 
'Thank  you,'  he  said. 

****** 

I  have  very  little  to  add.  All  the  world  knows  that  the 
King  of  Sweden,  unable  to  entice  Wallenstein  from  his 
lines,  remained  in  his  camp  before  Nuremberg  for  fifteen 
days  longer,  during  which  period  the  city  and  the  army 
suffered  all  the  extremities  of  famine  and  plague.  After 
that,  satisfied  that  he  had  so  far  reduced  the  Duke  of 
Friedland's  strength  that  it  no  longer  menaced  the  city,  he 
marched  away  with  his  army  into  Thuriugia;  and  there, 


MY  LADY  ROTHA.  383 

two  months  later,  on  the  immortal  field  of  Lutzen,  defeated 
his  enemy,  and  fell,  some  say  by  a  traitor's  hand,  in  the 
moment  of  victory ;  leaving  to  all  who  ever  looked  upon 
his  face  the  memory  of  a  sovereign  and  soldier  without  a 
rival,  modest  in  sunshine  and  undaunted  in  storm.  I  saw 
him  seven  times  and  I  say  this. 

And  all  the  world  knows  in  what  a  welter  of  war  and 
battles  and  sieges  and  famines  we  have  since  lain,  so  that 
no  man  foresees  the  end,  and  many  suppose  that  happiness 
has  quite  fled  from  the  earth,  or  at  least  from  German 
soil.  Yet  this  is  not  so.  It  is  true  in  comparison  with  the 
old  days,  when  my  lady  kept  her  maiden  Court  at  Heritz- 
burg,  and  our  greatest  excitement  was  a  visit  from  Count 
Tilly,  we  lead  a  troubled  life.  My  lady's  eyes  are  often 
grave,  and  the  days  when  she  goes  with  her  two  brave  boys 
to  the  summit  of  the  Schloss  and  looks  southward  with  a 
wistful  face,  are  many  ;  many,  for  the  Count,  though  he 
verges  on  seventy,  still  keeps  the  field  and  is  a  tower  in 
the  councils  of  the  north.  But  with  all  that,  the  life  is  a 
full  one  —  full  of  worthy  things  and  help  given  to  others, 
and  a  great  example  greatly  set,  and  peace  honestly  if 
vainly  pursued.  And  for  this  and  for  other  reasons,  I  be- 
lieve that  my  lady,  doing  her  duty,  hoping  and  praying  and 
training  her  children,  is  happy  ;  perhaps  as  happy  as  in  the 
old  days  when  Fraulein  Anna  prosed  of  virtue  and  felicity 
and  Voetius. 

The  Waldgrave  Kupert,  still  the  handsomest  of  men,  but 
sobered  by  the  stress  of  war,  comes  to  see  us  in  the  intervals 
of  battles  and  sieges.  On  these  occasions  the  children 
flock  round  him,  and  he  tells  tales  —  of  Nordlingen, 
and  Leipzig,  and  the  leaguer  of  Breysach ;  and  blue  eyes 
grow  stern,  and  chubby  faces  grim,  and  shell-white  teeth 
are  ground  together,  while  Marie  sits  pale  and  quaking, 
devouring  her  boys  with  hungry  mother's  eyes.  But  they 
do  not  laugh  at  her  now ;  they  have  not  since  the  day  when 
the  Waldgrave  bade  them  guess  who  was  the  bravest  person 
he  had  ever  known. 


384  MY  LADY  ROTH  A. 

'  Father  ! '  my  lady's  sons  cried.  And  Marie's,  not  to  be 
outdone,  cried  the  same. 

But  the  Waldgrave  shook  his  head.  '  No,'  he  said,  <  try 
again.' 

My  youngest  guessed  the  King  of  Sweden. 

'No,'  the  Waldgrave  answered  him.     'Your  mother. 


THE    END. 


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THE  ONE  GOOD  GUEST.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

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UNDER    THE    RED    ROBE. 

A    ROMANCE. 
BY  STANLEY  J.  WEYMAN, 

AUTHOR  OF  "A  GENTLEMAN  OF  FRANCE,"  "THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WOLF,"  ETC. 


With   12  Full-page  Illustrations  by  R.  Caton  Woodvllle. 
1  2 mo,  Linen  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 

"  Mr.  Weyman  is  a  brave  writer,  who  imagines  fine  things  and  describes  them 
splendidly.  There  is  something  to  interest  a  healthy  mind  on  every  page  of  his  new 
story.  Its  interest  never  flags,  for  his  resource  is  rich,  and  it  is,  moreover,  the  kind  of 
a  story  that  one  cannot  plainly  see  the  end  of  from  Chapter  I.  .  .  .  the  story  reveals 
a  knowledge  of  French  character  and  French  landscape  that  was  surely  never  ac- 
quired at  second  hand.  The  beginning  is  wonderfully  interesting."— NEW  YORK  TIMES. 

"  As  perfect  a  novel  of  the  new  school  of  fiction  as  '  Ivanhoe  '  or  '  Henry  Esmond  ' 
was  of  theirs.  Each  later  story  has  shown  a  marked  advance  in  strength  and  treat- 
ment, and  in  the  last  Mr.  Weyman  .  .  .  demonstrates  that  he  has  no  superior 
among  living  novelists.  .  .  .  There  are  but  two  characters  in  the  story — his  art 
makes  all  other  but  unnoticed  shadows  cast  by  them — and  the  attention  is  so  keenly 
fixed  upon  one  or  both,  from  the  first  word  to  the  last,  that  we  live  in  their  thoughts 
and  see  the  drama  unfolded  through  their  eyes." — N.  Y.  WORLD. 

"  It  was  bold  to  take  Richelieu  and  his  time  as  a  subject  and  thus  to  challenge  com- 
parison with  Dumas's  immortal  musketeers  ;  but  the  result  justifies  the  boldness.  .  .  . 
The  plot  is  admirably  clear  and  strong,  the  diction  singularly  concise  and  telling,  and 
the  stirring  events  are  so  managed  as  not  to  degenerate  into  sensationalism.  Few 
better  novels  of  adventure  than  this  have  ever  been  written." — OUTLOOK,  NEW  YORK. 

"  A  wonderfully  brilliant  and  thrilling  romance.  .  .  .  Mr.  Weyman  has  a  positive 
talent  for  concise  dramatic  narration.  Every  phrase  tells,  and  the  characters  static 
out  with  life-like  distinctness.  Some  of  the  most  fascinating  epochs  in  French  history 
have  been  splendidly  illuminated  by  his  novels,  which  are  to  be  reckoned  among  the 
notable  successes  of  later  nineteenth-century  fiction.  This  story  of '  Under  the  Red 
Robe '  is  in  its  way  one  of  the  very  best  things  he  has  done.  It  is  illustrated  with 
vigor  and  appropriateness  from  twelve  full-page  designs  by  R.  Caton  Woodville." 

— BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  It  is  a  skillfully  drawn  picture  of  the  times,  drawn  in  simple  and  transparent 
English,  and  quivering  with  tense  human  feeling  from  the  first  word  to  the  last.  It  is 
not  a  book  that  can  be  laid  down  at  the  middle  of  it.  The  reader  once  caught  in  its 
whirl  can  no  more  escape  from  it  than  a  ship  from  the  maelstrom." 

— PICAYUNE,  NEW  ORLEANS. 

"The  'red  robe"  refers  to  Cardinal  Richelieu,  in  whose  day  the  story  is  laid. 
The  descriptions  of  his  court,  his  judicial  machinations  and  ministrations,  his  partial 
defeat,  stand  out  from  the  book  as  vivid  as  flame  against  a  background  of  snow.  For 
the  rest,  the  book  is  clever  and  interesting,  ana  overflowing  with  heroic  incident. 
Stanley  Weyman  is  an  author  who  has  apparently  come  to  stay." — CHICAGO  POST. 

"  In  this  story  Mr.  Weyman  returns  to  the  scene  of  his  '  Gentleman  of  France,' 
although  his  new  heroes  are  of  different  mould.  The  book  is  full  of  adventure  and 
characterized  by  a  deeper  study  of  character  than  its  predecessor." 

— WASHINGTON  POST. 

"  Mr.  Weyman  has  quite  topped  his  first  success.  .  .  .  The  author  artfully 
pursues  the  line  on  which  his  happy  initial  venture  was  laid.  We  have  in  Berault,  the 
hero,  a  more  impressive  Marsac  ;  an  accomplished  duelist,  telling  the  tale  of  his  own 
adventures,  he  first  repels  and  finally  attracts  us.  He  is  at  once  the  tool  of  Richelieu, 
and  a  man  of  honor.  Here  is  a  noteworthy  romance,  full  of  thrilling  incident  set  down 
by  a  master-hand." — PHILADELPHIA  PRESS. 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STREET,  NEW  YOKE. 


A  GENTLEMAN  OF  FRANCE. 

Being:  the  Memoirs  of  Gaston  de  Bonne, 
Sieur  de  Marsac. 

BY  STANLEY  J.  WEYMAN. 

AUTHOR    OF   "THE    HOUSE    OF  THE   WOLF,"   ETC. 


With  Frontispiece  and  Vignette  by  H.  J.  Ford. 
1 2mo,  Cloth,   Ornamental,  $1.25. 

"One  of  the  best  novels  since  'Lorna  Doone.'  It  will  be  read  and  then  re-read  for  the 
mere  pleasure  its  reading  gives.  The  subtle  charm  of  it  is  not  in  merely  transporting  the 
nineteenth-century  reader  to  the  sixteenth,  that  he  may  see  life  as  it  was  then,  but  in  trans- 
forming him  into  a  sixteenth-century  man,  thinking  its  thoughts,  and  living  its  life  in  perfect 
touch  and  sympathy  ...  it  carries  the  reader  out  of  his  present  life,  giving  him  a  new 
and  totally  different  existence  that  rests  and  refreshes  him." — N.  Y.  WORLD. 

"  No  novelist  outside  of  France  has  displayed  a  more  definite  comprehension  of  the  very 
essence  of  mediaeval  French  life,  and  no  one,  certainly,  has  been  able  to  set  forth  a  depiction 
of  it  in  colors  so  vivid  and  so  entirely  in  consonance  with  the  truth.  .  .  .  The  characters 
in  the  tale  are  admirably  drawn,  and  the  narrative  is  nothing  less  than  fascinating  in  its  fine 
flavor  of  adventure." — BEACON,  BOSTON. 

"  We  hardly  know  whether  to  call  this  latest  work  of  Stanley  J.  Weyman  a  historical 
lomance  or  a  story  of  adventure.  It  has  all  the  interesting,  fascinating  and  thrilling  charac- 
teristics of  both.  The  scene  is  in  France,  and  the  time  is  that  fateful  eventful  one  which 
culminated  in  Henry  of  Navarre  becoming  king.  Naturally  it  is  a  story  of  plots  and  intrigue, 
of  danger  and  of  the  grand  passion,  abounding  in  intense  dramatic  scenes  and  most  interest- 
ing situations.  It  is  a  romance  which  will  rank  among  the  masterpieces  of  historic  fiction." 

— ADVERTISER,  BOSTON. 

"  A  romance  after  the  style  of  Dumas  the  elder,  and  well  worthy  of  being  read  by  those 
who  can  enjoy  stirring  adventures  told  in  true  romantic  fashion.  .  .  .  The  great  person- 
ages of  the  time — Henry  III.  of  Valois,  Henry  IV.,  Rosny,  :  Rambouillet,  Turenne — are 
brought  in  skillfully,  and  the  tragic  and  varied  history  of  the  time  forms  a  splendid  frame  in 
which  to  set  the  picture  of  Marsac's  love  and  courage  .  .  .  the  troublous  days  are  well 
described  and  the  interest  is  genuine  and  lasting,  for  up  to  the  very  end  the  author  manage* 
effects  which  impel  the  reader  to  go  on  with  renewed  curiosity.'' — THE  NATIOW! 

"A  genuine  and  admirable  piece  of  work.  .  .  .  The  reader  will  not  turn  many  page* 
before  he  finds  himself  in  the  grasp  of  a  writer  who  holds  his  attention  to  the  very  last  mo- 
ment of  the  story.  The  spirit  of  adventure  pervades  the  whole  from  beginning  to  end.  ... 

It  may  be  said  that  the  narration  is  a  delightful  love  story.  The  interest  of  the  reader 
Is  constantly  excited  by  the  development  of  unexpected  turns  in  the  relation  of  the  principal 
lovers.  The  romance  lies  against  a  background  of  history  truly  painted.  .  .  .  The 
descriptions  of  the  court  life  of  the  period  and  of  the  factional  strifes,  divisions,  hatreds  of  th» 
age,  are  fine.  .  .  .  This  story  of  those  times  is  worthy  of  a  very  high  place  among  histori- 
cal novels  of  recent  years." — PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"  Bold,  strong,  dashing,  it  is  one  of  the  best  we  have  read  for  many  years.  We  sat  down 
for  a  cursory  perusal,  and  ended  by  reading  it  delightedly  through.  .  .  .  Mr.  Weyman 
has  much  of  the  vigor  and  rush  of  incident  of  Dr.  Conan  Doyle,  and  this  book  ranks  worthirf 
beside  '  The  White  Company.'  .  .  .  We  very  cordially  recommend  this  book  to  the  jaded 
novel  reader  who  cares  for  manly  actions  more  than  for  morbid  introspection." 

— THE  CHURCHMAN. 

"The  book  is  not  only  good  literature,  it  is  a  'rattling  good  story,'  instinct  with  the 
spirit  of  true  adventure  and  stirring  emotion.  Of  love  and  peril,  intrigue  and  fighting,  there 
is  plenty,  and  many  scenes  could  not  have  been  bettered.  In  all  his  adventures,  and  they 
are  many,  Marsac  acts  as  befits  his  epoch  and  his  own  modest  yet  gallant  personality.  Well- 
known  historical  figures  emerge  in  telling  fashion  under  Mr.  Weyman's  discriminating  and 
fascinating  touch." — ATHEN.*UM. 

"  I  cannot  fancy  any  reader,  old  or  young,  not  sharing  with  doughty  Crillon  his  admiration 
for  M.  de  Marsac,  who,  though  no  swashbuckler,  has  a  sword  that  leaps  from  its  scabbard  at  thr 
breath  of  insult.  .  .  .  There  are  several  historical  personages  in  the  novel ;  there  is,  of 
course,  a  heroine,  of  great  beauty  and  enterprise;  but  that  true  'Gentleman  of  France,' 
M.  dr  Marsac,  with  his  perseverance  and  valor,  dominates  them  all." 

—Mr.  JAMKS  PAYN  in  the  ILLUSTRATED  LONDON  NEWS. 


LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  CO.,  15  EAST  16th  STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


DOREEN. 

THE    STORY    OF    A    SINGER. 

BY  EDNA  LYALL, 

AUTHOR    OP    "WB    TWO,"     "DONOVAN,"     "THE    AUTOBIOGRAPHY     OP     A    BLANDER, 
''IN  THB  GOLDEN  DAYS,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


Crown  8vo,  Buckram  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.5O. 

"  Edna  Lyall  has  evidently  made  a  close  study  of  the  Irish  question,  and  she  sees 
Its  varying  aspects  and  problems  with  a  desire  to  do  justice  to  all.  while  she  stands 
firmly  on  her  own  principles.  .  .  .  There  is  much  to  recommend  in  Edna  Lyall's 
books,  and  her  admirers  are  many.  The  book  will  be  read  with  interest.  ...  It  is 
yet  well  written  and  comprehensive,  treating  of  universal  principles  in  a  broad  way 
and  presenting  characters  in  whom  one  becomes  interested  for  their  own  sake." 

— LITERARY  WORLD,  Boston. 

"A  plot  which  has  original  life  and  vigor.  .  .  .  Altogether  a  good  novel,  and  if 
the  author  has  written  nothing  else  she  could  safely  rest  her  literary  reputation  on 
'  Doreen.'  " — PUBLIC  OPINION,  N.  Y. 

"  Edna  Lyall's  .  .  .  new  story  ...  is  one  of  her  best.  It  has,  naturally, 
enough  of  tragedy  to  make  it  intensely  interesting  without  being  sensational  in  any 
offensive  sense.  The  heroine,  Doreen,  is  a  delightful  character,  sturdy,  strong,  lovable, 
womanly,  and  genuinely  Irish.  Miss  Bayly  is  a  conscientious  writer,  imbued  vrith 
deep  feeling,  a  nigh  purpose,  and  her  style  is  attractive  and  pure." 

—BOSTON  DAILY  ADVERTISER. 

"  The  heroine  is  a  most  winsome  Irish  maiden  with  an  exquisite  voice,  and  she 
comes  bravely  out  of  the  involved  dramatic  situation  in  which  she  is  placed  by  an  early 
vow." — PRESS,  Philadelphia. 

"  It  is  a  very  clever  story  indeed,  and  skillfully  written.  The  heroine  is  a  brigh* 
and  beautiful  Irish  girl,  and  a  musician." — NEW  ORLEANS  PICAYUNE. 

"A  very  interesting  story  and  is  full  of  interesting  and  exciting  incidents,  and  its 
characters  are  well  drawn  and  sustained  throughout  the  book.  It  is  tastefully  bound, 
and  will  doubtless  prove  popular  with  this  writer's  many  admirers." 

— PORTLAND  ADVERTISER. 


holds  dearest  of  all.  .  .  .  The  book  is  thoroughly  wholesome,  good,  and  interesting 
Miss  Lyall  writes  of  Ireland,  of  Irish  ways  and  feelings,  as  well  as  of  Catholic  beliefs 
and  customs,  with  knowledge  and  symoathy.  .  .  .  The  volume  is  tastefully  bound 
.  .  .  well  printed  and  convenient  to  handle  and  to  read." 

— THB  SACRED  HEART  REVIEW,  Boston, 

1  "  The  heroine,  clever,  patriotic,  self-denying,  is  worthy  of  the  name,  and  the  hero 
is  equally  excellent.  ...  An  interesting  novel,  a  good  picture  of  a  bright,  pure 
minded,  high-hearted  heroine."— BOSTON  PILOT. 

"This  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best  of  Edna  Lyall's  clever  stories.  Doreen  is  a  young 
Irish  girl,  who  loves  her  native  land,  and  who  is  a  credit  to  her  race.  .  .  .  Inter- 
woven with  the  story  of  her  experience  and  of  her  love  for  a  young  Englishman  is  an 
interesting  account  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Home  Rule  movement.  Miss  Lyall'a 
book  is  a  charming  tale,  and  will  not  fail  to  delight  every  one  who  reads  it.  The  girl 
Doreen  is  a  beautiful  character." — CATHOLIC  NEWS. 

"The  time  is  the  present,  the  scene  is  laid  in  Ireland  and  England,  and  Doreen, 
the  heroine,  is  a  charming  Irish  girl,  devoted  to  her  country  and  her  oppresses 
countrymen.  .  .  .  The  story  is  attractively  told  and  a  very  impartial  view  of  the 
I  rish  question  Is  taken.  .  .  .  Doreen  is  a  most  attractive  character,  refreshingly 
simple  and  natural,  and  yet  with  a  decided  personality  of  her  own.  .  .  .  A  whole- 
some, well-written  story,  and  free  from  any  touch  of  atheism."— CHICAGO  INTER-OCEAN 


LONGMANS,  GEEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YOEK 


THE  MATCHMAKER. 

A    NOVEL. 
BY  MRS.  L.  B.  WALFORD. 


Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $  1 .50. 


"  A  new  novel  by  the  author  of  'The  Baby's  Grandmother'  and  '  Mr.  Smith'  is  always 
eagerly  anticipated  by  those  who  enjoy  a  love  story  told  with  a  charming  freshness  of  style, 
with  a  satirical  yet  good-natured  treatment  of  human  foibles,  and  witn  a  vivid,  witty,  and 
animating  use  of  that  sentiment  which  '  makes  the  world  go  round.'  .  .  .  'The  Match' 
maker'  gives  a  piquant  hint  of  the  plot.  It  will  be  found  one  of  the  most  delightful  of  its 
author's  works,  and  comes  in  good  time  to  amuse  people  worn  by  summer  weather." 

—  Nhw  YORK  TRIBUNE. 

"  We  are  sure  that  anything  from  the  pen  of  L.  B.  Walford  will  be  interesting  and 
original.  There  is  always  enough  romance  about  these  novels  to  keep  them  from  any  sign  of 
dullness,  and  they  always  include  some  very  uncommon  types  well  worth  studying.  The 
Carnoustie  family  in  the  present  instance  is  one  to  keep  the  reader  constantly  on  the  qui 
vive  ...  a  well-told,  entertaining  story  of  interesting  people." 

— DETROIT  FREE  PRESS. 

"Sure  to  find  a  large  circle  of  refined  and  intelligent  readers.  The  story  is  constantly 
lighted  up  with  touches  of  humor,  and  the  picture  of  simple  family  life  and  the  feminine  occu- 
pations it  affords  is  natural  and  entertaining."— BEACON,  BOSTON. 

"...  A  fresh  and  interesting  picture  of  life  in  a  Scottish  castle,  and  introduces 
many  characters  notable  for  the  faithfulness  to  nature  with  which  they  are  drawn.  The  inci- 
dents are  interesting  enough  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  readt  r  and  to  hold  it  until  the  closing 
chapter.'' — THE  ADVERTISER,  PORTLAND. 


NOVELS   BY   MRS.   L.   B.  WALFORD. 


In  Uniform  Binding-.    Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  each  Volume,  $1  .OO. 


COUSINS. 

THE    BABY'S     GRAND- 
MOTHER. 

PAULINE. 

NAN. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  A  WEEK. 


TROUBLESOME  DAUGH- 
TERS. 

MR.  SMITH. 

DICK   NETHERBY. 

A  STIFF-NECKED  GEN- 
ERATION. 

THE  MISCHIEF  OF  MONICA 


LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YOEK 


THE    PEOPLE    OF    THE    MIST. 

BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR  OF   "  SHE,"  "  ALLAN  QUATBRMAIN,"  "  MONTBZUMA's  DAUGHTER,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


With   16  full-page   Illustrations    by  Arthur   Layard.      Crown 
8vo,  cloth,  ornamental,  $1.25. 


"  Out  of  Africa,  as  all  men  know,  the  thing  that  is  new  is  ever  forthcoming.  The  old 
style  is  true  with  regard  to  Mr.  Haggard's  romances,  and  everybody  concerned  is  to  be  con- 
gratulated upon  the  romancer's  return  to  the  magical  country  where  lies  the  land  of  Kor. 
Africa  is  Mr.  Haggard's  heaven  of  invention.  Let  him  be  as  prodigal  as  he  may,  thence 
flows  an  exhaustless  stream  of  romance,  rich  in  wonders  new  and  astonishing.  '  The  People 
of  the  Mist '  belongs  to  the  sphere  of  '  She '  in  its  imaginative  scope,  and,  as  an  example  of 
the  story-teller's  art,  must  be  reckoned  of  the  excellent  company  of  '  King  Solomon's 
Mines  '  and  its  brethren.  We  read  it  at  one  spell,  as  it  were,  hardly  resisting  that  effect  of 
fascination  which  invites  you,  at  the  critical  moments  of  the  story,  to  plunge  ahead  at  a 
venture  to  know  what  is  coming,  and  be  resolved  as  to  some  harrowing  doubt  of  dilemma. 
There  is  no  better  test  of  the  power  of  a  story  than  this.  .  .  ." — SATURDAY  REVIEW. 

"  The  lawyer,  the  physician,  the  business  man,  the  teacher,  find  in  these  novels,  teem- 
ing with  life  and  incident,  precisely  the  medicine  to  rest  tired  brains  and  '  to  take  them  out  of 
themselves.'  There  is,  perhaps,  no  writer  of  this  present  time  whose  works  are  read  more 
generally  and  with  keener  pleasure.  The  mincing  words,  the  tedious  conversations,  the 
prolonged  agony  of  didactic  discussion,  characteristic  of  the  ordinary  novel  of  the  time,  find 
no  place  in  the  crisp,  bright,  vigorous  pages  of  Mr.  Haggard's  books.  .  .  .  '  The  People 
of  the  Mist '  is  what  we  expect  and  desire  from  the  pen  of  this  writer  ...  a  deeply 
interesting  novel,  a  fitting  companion  to  '  Allan  Quatermain.'  " — PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"  The  story  of  the  combat  between  the  dwarf  Otter  and  the  huge  '  snake,'  a  crocodile 
of  antediluvian  proportions,  and  the  following  account  of  the  escape  of  the  Outram  party, 
is  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  dramatic  fiction  which  Mr.  Haggard  has  ever  written." — BOS- 
TON ADVERTISER. 

"  One  of  his  most  ingenious  fabrications  of  marvellous  adventure,  and  so  skilfully  is  it 
done  that  the  reader  loses  sight  of  the  improbability  in  the  keen  interest  of  the  tale.  Two 
loving  and  beautiful  women  figure  in  the  narrative,  and  in  his  management  of  the  heroine 
and  her  rival  the  author  shows  his  originality  as  well  as  in  the  sensational  element  which  is 
his  peculiar  province." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

'"The  People  of  the  Mist'  is  the  best  novel  he  has  written  since  'She,'  and  it  runs 
that  famous  romance  very  close  indeed.  The  dwarf  Otter  is  fully  up  to  the  mark  of  Rider 
Haggard's  best  character,  and  his  fight  with  the  snake  god  is  as  powerful  as  anything  the 
author  has  written.  The  novel  abounds  in  striking  scenes  and  incidents,  and  the  read- 
er's interest  is  never  allowed  to  flag.  The  attack  on  the  slave  kraal  and  the  rescue  of  Juanna 
are  in  Mr.  Haggard's  best  vein." — CHARLESTON  NEWS. 

"  It  has  all  the  dash  and  go  of  Haggard's  other  tales  of  adventure,  and  few  readers  will 
be  troubled  over  the  impossible  things  in  the  story  as  they  follow  the  exciting  exploits  of  the 
hero  and  his  redoubtable  dwarf  Otter.  .  .  .  Otter  is  a  character  worthy  to  be  classed 
with  Umslopogus,  the  great  Zulu  warrior.  Haggard  has  never  imagined  anything  more  ter- 
ror-inspiring than  the  adventures  of  Leonard  and  his  party  in  the  awful  palace  of  the  Chil- 
dren of  Mist,  nor  has  he  ever  described  a  more  thrilling  combat  than  that  between  the  dwarf 
and  the  huge  water  snake  in  the  sacred  pool." — SAN  FRANCISCO  CHRONICLE. 

"  It  displays  all  of  this  popular  author's  imagery,  power  to  evoke  and  combine  miraculous 
incidents,  and  skill  in  analyzing  human  motives  and  emotions  in  the  most  striking  manner. 
He  is  not  surpassed  by  any  modern  writer  of  fiction  for  vividness  of  description  or  keenness 
of  perception  and  boldness  of  characterization.  The  reader  will  find  here  the  same  qualities 
in  full  measure  that  stamped  '  King  Solomon's  Mines,'  'Jess,' '  She,'  and  his  other  earlier 
romances  with  their  singular  power.  The  narrative  is  a  series  of  scenes  and  pictures  ;  the 
events  are  strange  to  the  verge  of  ghoulishness  ;  the  action  of  the  story  is  tireless,  and  the 
reader  is  held  as  with  a  grip  not  to  DC  shaken  off." — BOSTON  COURIER. 

"  Sometimes  we  are  reminded  of '  King  Solomon's  Mines '  and  sometimes  of  She,'  but  the 
mixture  has  the  same  elements  of  interest,  dwells  in  the  same  strange  land  of  mystery  and 
adventure,  and  appeals  to  the  same  public  that  Luys  and  reads  Mr.  Haggard's  works  for  the 
sake  of  the  rapid  adventure,  the  strong  handling  of  improbable  incident,  and  the  fascination 
of  the  supernatural." — BALTIMORE  SUN. 


LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STREET,  NEW  YOBK. 


MONTEZUMA'S    DAUGHTER. 

BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR   OF  "  SHE,"  "  ALLAN   QUATERMAIN,"  "  NADA  THE   LILY,"  ETC. 

With  24  full-page  Illustrations  and  Vignette  by  Maurice 
Greiffenhagen.     Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $1.OO. 

"  Adventures  that  stir  the  reader's  blood  and,  like  magic  spells,  hold  his  attention  with 
power  so  strong  that  only  the  completion  of  the  novel  can  satisfy  his  interest.  ...  In 
this  novel  the  motive  of  revenge  is  treated  with  a  subtle  power  .  .  .  this  latest  production 
of  Mr.  Haggard  blends  with  the  instruction  of  the  historical  novel  the  charm  of  a  splendid 
romance." — PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"Mr.  Haggard  has  done  nothing  better  .  .  .  it  may  well  be  doubted  if  he  has  ever 
done  anything  half  so  good.  The  tale  is  one  of  the  good,  old-fashioned  sort,  filled  wilh  the 
elements  of  romance  and  adventure,  and  it  moves  on  from  one  thrilling  situation  to  another 
with  a  celerity  and  verisimilitude  that  positively  fascinate  the  reader.  .  .  .  The  story  is 
told  with  astonishing  variety  of  detail,  and  in  its  main  lines  keeps  close  to  historical  truth. 
The  author  has  evidently  written  with  enthusiasm  and  entire  love  of  his  theme,  and  the  result 
is  a  really  splendid  piece  of  romantic  literature.  The  illustrations,  by  Maurice  Greiffenhagen, 
are  admirable  in  spirit  and  technique." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  Has  a  good  deal  of  the  quality  that  lent  such  interest  to  '  King  Solomon's  Mines '  and 
'  Allan  Quatermain.'  .  .  .  England,  Spain,  and  the  country  which  is  now  Mexico  afford 
the  field  of  the  story,  and  a  great  number  of  most  romantic  and  blood-stirring  activities  occur 
in  each  ...  a  successful  story  well  constructed,  full  of  devious  and  exciting  action, 
and  we  believe  that  it  will  find  a  multitude  of  appreciative  readers." — SUN,  N.  V. 

'  It  is  a  tale  of  adventure  and  romance,  with  a  fine  historical  setting  and  with  a  vivid 
reproduction  of  the  manners  and  people  of  the  age.  The  plot  is  handled  with  dexterity  and 
skill,  and  the  reader's  interest  is  always  seen.  There  is,  it  should  also  be  noted,  nothing  like 
vulgar  sensationalism  in  the  treatment,  and  the  literary  quality  is  sound  throughout. 

Among  the  very  best  stories  of  love,  war,  and  romance  that  have  been  written." 

—THE  OUTLOOK. 

"Is  the  latest  and  best  of  that  popular  writer's  works  of  fiction.  It  enters  a  new 
field  not  before  touched  by  previous  tales  from  the  same  author.  In  its  splendor  of  descrip- 
tion, weirdness  of  imagery,  and  wealth  of  startling  incidents  it  rivals  '  King  Solomon's  Mines ' 
and  other  earlier  stories,  but  shows  superior  strength  in  many  respects,  and  presents  novelty 
of  scene  that  must  win  new  and  more  enduring  fame  for  its  talented  creator.  .  .  .  The 
analysis  of  human  motives  and  emotions  is  more  subtle  in  this  work  than  in  any  previous 
production  by  Mr.  Haggard.  The  story  will  generally  be  accorded  highest  literary  rank 
among  the  author's  works,  and  will  prove  of  fascinating  interest  to  a  host  of  readers." 

— MINNEAPOLIS  SPECTATOR. 

"  Is  full  of  the  magnificence  of  the  Aztec  reign,  and  is  quite  as  romantic  and  unbelievable 
as  the  most  fantastic  of  his  earlier  creations." — BOOK  BUYER. 

"We  should  be  disposed  to  rank  this  volume  next  to  'King  Solomon's  Mines'  in  order 
of  interest  and  merit  among  the  author's  works." — LITERARY  WORLD,  BOSTON. 

"  It  is  decidedly  the  most  powerful  and  enjoyable  book  that  Mr.  Rider  Haggard  has 
written,  with  the  single  exception  of '  Jess.'  " — ACADFMY. 

"  Mr.  Haggard  has  rarely  done  anything  better  than  this  romantic  and  interesting  narra- 
tive. Throughout  the  story  we  are  hurried  from  one  thrilling  experience  to  another,  and  the 
whole  book  is  written  at  a  level  of  sustained  passion,  which  gives  it  a  very  absorbing  hold  on 
our  imagination.  A  special  word  of  praise  ought  to  be  given  to  the  excellent  illustrations." 

—DAILY  TELEGRAPH. 
Perhaps  the  best  01  all  the  author's  stories. 

The  great  distinguishing  quality  of  Rider  Haggard  is  this  magic  power  of  seizing  and 
holding  his  readers  so  that  they  become  absorbed  and  abstracted  from  all  earthly  things  while 
their  eyes  devour  the  page.  ...  A  romance  must  have 'grip.'  .  .  .  This  romance 
possesses  tha quality  of  'grip*  in  an  eminent  degree.'1 — WALTER  BESANT  in  the  AUTHOR. 

"The  story  is  both  graphic  and  exciting,  .  .  .  and  tells  of  the  invasion  of  Cortes; 
but  there  are  antecedent  passages  in  England  and  Spain,  for  the  hero  is  an  English  adven- 
turer who  finds  his  way  through  Spain  to  Mexico  on  a  vengeful  quest.  The  vengeance  is  cer- 
tainly satisfactory,  but  it  is  not  reached  until  the  hero  has  had  as  surprising  a  series  of  perils 
and  escapes  as  even  the  fertile  imagination  of  the  author  ever  devised.*1 — DIAL,  CHICAGO. 


LONGMANS,  GKEEN,  &  00,,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YOEE. 


"CAN  THIS   BE   LOVE? 

A    NOVEL. 

BY  MRS.  PARR, 
AUTHOR  OF  "DOROTHY  FOX,"  "ADAM  AND  EVE,"  ETC. 


With   Frontispiece  and   Vignette   by   Charles   Kerr. 
12mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 


"  A  wholesome  tale.  .  .  .  It  is  a  pleasant  story,  delightfully  told,  and  with  a  whole 
some  English  atmosphere." — BOOK  BUYER,  N.  Y. 

"  This  is  a  story  that  will  repay  the  time  spent  over  it.  Mrs.  Parr  is  a  strong  and  inter- 
esting writer.  Her  characters  are  live  characters,  and  the  incidents  through  which  they 
move  are  natural  and  realistic.  Her  present  story  is  throughout  an  exceptionally  interesting 
one,  and  the  reader  will  find  his  interest  in  it  kept  up  to  ti.e  end.  It  is  handsomely  printed 
on  good  paper." — CHRISTIAN  AT  WORK,  N.  Y. 

"The  touches  of  humor  .  .  .  are  pleasant;  the  descriptions  of  scenery  are  charm- 
ing ;  the  plot  is  well  and  artistically  planned  and  executed  ;  but,  best  of  all,  the  whole  tone  of 
the  book  is  pure  and  free  from  morbidness,  and  one  can  read  it  from  cover  to  cover  without 
finding  the  taint  of  vulgarity  and  super-emotionalism  (to  call  it  by  the  most  polite  name) 
which  degrades  so  much  of  modern  fiction." — LITERAKY  WORLD,  Boston. 

"  It  is  a  love  story  of  more  than  usual  interest  and  is  well  worth  reading.  .  .  .  The 
three  principal  persons  in  the  book  are  fine  character  studies,  and  the  story  is  strong  and 
interesting." — ADVERTISER,  Portland,  Me. 

"  Mrs.  Parr  has  given  us  an  altogether  charming  book." — TRAVELLER,  Boston. 

"  One  of  the  daintiest,  most  homelike  and  natural  stories  of  the  week  .  .  .  the  girl 
is  a  downright,  genuine,  substantial  girl,  like  the  girls  we  know  in  the  world  and  love." 

—COMMERCIAL  GAZETTE,  Cincinnati. 


THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WOLF, 

A   ROMANCE. 
BY  STANLEY   J.   WEYMAN, 

AUTHOR   OF    "  A   GENTLEMAN   OF  FRANCE,"   ETC. 


With   Frontispiece  and   Vignette   by   Charles   Kerr. 
12mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 


"  A  delightful  volume  .  .  .  one  of  the  brightest,  briskest  tales  I  have  met  with  for  a 
long  time.  Dealing  with  the  Eve  of  St.  Bartholomew  it  portrays  that  night  of  horror  from  a 
point  entirely  new,  and,  we  may  add,  relieves  the  gloom  by  many  a  flash  and  gleam  of  sun- 
shine. Best  of  all  ts  the  conception  of  the  VidSme.  His  character  alone  would  make  the 
book  live." — CRITIC,  N.  Y. 

"  Recounted  as  by  an  eye  witness  in  a  forceful  way  with  a  rapid  and  graphic  style  that 
commands  interest  and  admiration. 

Of  the  half  dozen  stories  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Eve  which  we  have  read  this  ranks  first 
in  vividness,  delicacy  of  perception,  reserve  power,  and  high  principle." 

— CHRISTIAN  UNION,  N.  Y. 

"  A  romance  which,  although  short,  deserves  a  place  in  literature  along  side  of  Charles 
Reade's  '  Cloister  and  the  Hearth.'  .  .  .  We  have  given  Mr.  Weyman's  book  not  only 
a  thorough  reading  with  great  interest,  but  also  a  more  than  usual  amount  of  space  because 
we  consider  it  one  of  the  best  examples  in  recent  fiction  of  how  thrilling  ami  even  bloody 
adventures  and  scenes  may  be  described  in  a  style  that  is  graphic  and  true  to  detail,  and  yet 
delicate,  quaint,  and  free  from  all  coarseness  and  brutality." 

— COMMERCIAL  ADVKRTISKR,  N.  Y. 


LONGMANS,  GEEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STKEET,  NEW  YORK. 


THE  ONE  GOOD  GUEST. 

A  NOVEL. 
BY  L.  B.  WALFORD, 

AUTHOR  OF    *•  MR.  SMITH."  "  THE    BABY'S   GRANDMOTHER,"  ETC.,  ETC. 

12mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $  1  .OO. 

"  It  is  a  delightful  picture  of  life  at  an  English  estate,  which  is  presided  over  by  a  young 
'  Squire'  and  his  young  sister.  Their  experiences  are  cleverly  told,  and  the  complications 
which  arise  are  amusing  and  interesting.  There  are  many  humorous  touches,  too,  which 
add  no  slight  strength  to  the  story." — BOSTON  TIMES. 

"  A  charming  little  social  comedy,  permeated  with  a  refinement  of  spontaneous  humor 
and  brilliant  with  tjuches  of  shrewd  and  searching  satire." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

"The  story  is  bright,  amusing,  full  of  interest  and  incident,  and  the  characters  are  ad- 
mirably drawn.  Kvery  reader  will  recognize  a  friend  or  acquaintance  in  some  of  the  people 
here  portrayed.  Every  one  will  wish  he  could  have  been  a  guest  at  Duckhill  Manor,  and 
will  hope  that  the  author  has  more  stories  to  tell." — PUBLIC  OMNION. 

"  A  natural,  amusing,  kindly  tale,  told  with  great  skill.  The  characters  are  delightfully 
human,  the  individuality  well  caught  and  preserved,  the  quaint  humor  lightens  every  page, 
and  a  simple  delicacy  and  tenderness  complete  an  excellent  specimen  of  story  telling." 

—  PROVIDENCE  JOURNAL. 

"  For  neat  little  excursions  into  English  social  life,  and  that  of  the  best,  commend  us  to 
the  writer  of  'The  One  Good  Guest.'  " — N.  Y.  TIMES. 

"The  story  is  bright,  amusinz,  full  of  interest  and  incident,  and  the  characters  are  ad- 
mirably drawn.  Every  reader  will  recognize  a  friend  or  acquaintance  in  some  of  the  people 
here  portrayed.  Every  one  will  wish  he  could  have  been  a  guest  at  Duckhill  Manor,  and 
wil'  hope  that  the  author  has  more  stories  to  tell." — PORTLAND  OREGONIAN. 


BEGGARS    ALL. 

A  NOVEL. 

BY  MISS  L.  DQUGALL. 
Sixth  Edition.      12mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $  1  .OO. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  strongest  as  well  as  most  original  romances  of  the  year.  .  .  .  The 
plot  is  extraordinary.  .  .  .  The  close  of  the  story  is  powerful  and  natural.  ...  A 
masterpiece  of  restrained  and  legitimate  dramatic  fiction.'1— LITERARY  WORLD. 

"To  say  that  '  Beggars  All'  is  a  remarkable  novel  is  to  put  the  case  mildly  indeed,  for 
it  is  one  of  the  most  original,  discerning,  and  thoroughly  philosophical  presentations  of 
character  that  has  appeared  in  English  for  many  a  day.  .  .  .  Emphatically  a  novel 
that  thoughtful  people  ought  to  read  .  .  .  the  perusal  of  it  will  by  many  be  reckoned 
among  ths  intellectual  experiences  that  are  not  easily  forgotten." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

*'  A  story  of  thrilling  interest." — HOME  JOURNAL. 

"  A  very  unusual  quality  of  novel.  It  is  written  with  ability  :  it  tells  a  strong  story  with 
elaborat-  analysis  of  character  and  motive  .  .  .  it  is  of  decided  interest  and  worth 
reading." — COMMERCIAL  ADVERTISER,  N.  Y. 

"  It  is  more  than  a  story  for  mere  summer  reading,  but  deserves  a  permanent  place 
among  the  best  works  of  modern  fiction.  The  author  has  struck  a  vein  of  originality  purely 
her  own.  .  .  .  It  is  tragic,  pathetic,  humorous  by  turns.  .  .  .  Miss  Dougall  has,  in 
fact,  scored  a  gre.it  success.  Her  book  is  artistic,  realistic,  intensely  dramatic — in  fact,  one 
of  the  novels  of  the  year." — BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 

_  "  'Beggars  All '  is  a  noble  work  of  art,  but  is  also  something  more  and  something  better. 
It  i«  a  book  with  a  soul  in  it,  and  in  a  sense,  therefore,  it  may  be  described  as  an  inspired 
work.  The  inspiration  of  genius  may  or  may  not  be  lacking  to  it,  but  the  inspiration  of  a 
pure  and  beautiful  spirituality  pervades  it  completely  ...  the  characters  are  truth- 
fully and  powerfully  drawn,  the  situations  finely  imagined,  and  the  story  profoundly 
interesting." — CHICAGO  TRIBUNE. 

LONGMANS,  GEEEN,  &  00,,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YOKE. 


KEITH    DERAMORE. 

A    NOVEL. 

By  the  Author  of  "  Miss  Molly." 


Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $1.OO. 


"  One  of  the  strongest  novels  for  the  year.  ...  A  book  of  absorbing  and  sustained 
Interest,  full  of  those  touches  of  pathos,  gusts  of  passion,  and  quick  glimpses  into  the  very 
hearts  of  men  and  women  which  are  a  necessary  equipment  of  any  great  writer  of  fiction." 

— STAR. 

"  A  story  with  originality  of  plot  and  a  number  of  interesting  and  skillfully  drawn  char- 
acters. .  .  .  Well  worthy  of  a  careful  perusal." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  The  few  important  characters  introduced  are  very  clearly  and  well  drawn  ;  one  is  a 
quite  unusual  type  and  reveals  a  good  deal  of  power  in  the  author.  It  is  a  live  story  of 
more  than  ordinary  interest." — REVIEW  OF  REVIKWS. 

"A  novel  of  quiet  but  distinct  force  and  of  marked  refinement  in  manner.  The  few 
characters  m  '  Keith  Deramore '  are  clearly  and  delicately  drawn,  and  the  slight  plot  is  well 
sustained." — CHRISTIAN  UNION. 

"The  author  of  'Miss  Molly'  shall  have  her  reward  in  the  reception  of  'Keith  Dera- 
more.' If  it  is  not  popular  there  is  no  value  in  prophecy. '' — SPRINGFIELD  REPUBLICAN. 

"The  story  is  strong  and  interesting,  worthy  of  a  high  place  in  fiction." 

—PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"  Its  development  can  be  followed  with  great  interest.  It  is  well  written  and  entertain- 
ing throughout." — THE  CRITIC. 

"  An  exceptionally  interesting  novel.    It  is  an  admirable  addition  to  an  admirable  series." 

— BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 

"  It  contains  character-drawing  which  places  it  much  above  the  average  love  story,  and 
makes  the  reading  of  it  worth  while.  It  is  a  fine  study  of  a  normally-selfish  man.  There  is 
humor  in  it,  and  sustained  interest.1 — BUFFALO  EXPRESS. 


A  MORAL  DILEMMA, 

BY    ANNIE    M.     THOMPSON. 


Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $  1  .OO. 


"  We  have  in  this  most  delightful  volume  ...  a  new  novel  by  a  new  author.  The 
till'-  is  happily  chosen,  the  plot  is  thrillingly  interesting,  its  development  is  unusually  artistic, 
the  style  is  exceptionally  pure,  the  descriptions  are  graphic.  In  short  we  have  one  of  the 
best  of  recent  novels,  and  the  author  gives  great  promise.  — BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 

"  A  novel  of  rare  beauty  and  absorbing  interest.  Its  plot,  which  is  constructed  with 
freat  skill,  is  decidedly  unconventional  in  its  development,  and  its  denouement,  although 
unanticipated  until  near  its  climax,  really  comes  as  an  agreeable  surprise.  ...  A*  a 
iiterary  work,  'A  Moral  Dilemma'  will  take  high  rank.1' — BOSTON  HOME  JOURNAL. 

"The  story  is  well  written  and  gives  promise  of  the  development  of  a  writer  who  will 
take  place  among  the  ranks  of  those  of  her  sex  who  are  supplying  what  is  much  needed  at 
this  time — entertaining,  wholesome  literature." — YALE  COUKANT. 

"The  author  writes  with  vigor  and  earnestness,  and  the  book  is  one  of  interest  and 
power."— PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"The  story  is  strongly  told." —  INDEPENDENT. 

"  A  strong  story  which  leaves  the  reader  better  for  the  perusal.  A  touchlight,  at 
Barrie's  carries  one  through  the  successive  scenes,  which  are  fraught  with  deep  interest." 

—PUBLIC  LEDGER. 

LONGMANS,  GREEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YORK. 


H.   RIDER  HAGGARD'S 

Popular  Novels. 


THE   PEOPLE   OF  THE    MIST.     Illustrated.   I2mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 
MONTEZUMA'S    DAUGHTER.     Illustrated.     i2mo,  cloth,  $r.oo 

NADA  THE   LILY.     Illustrated.     i2mo,  cloth,  $1.00  ;  paper  cover, 
50  cents. 

ALLAN  QUATERMAIN.     Illustrated.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper 
cover,  25  cents. 

MAIWA'S   REVENGE.     Illustrated.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper 
cover,  25  cents. 

COLONEL     QUARITCH.      Half  cloth,   75  cents  ;    paper  cover,   25 
cents. 

CLEOPATRA.     Illustrated.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper  cover,  25 
cents. 

BEATRICE.      Illustrated.      Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;   paper   cover,   25 
cents. 

ERIC  BRIGHTEYES.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper  cover,  25  cents. 

ALLAN'S  WIFE,  and  Other  Tales.      Illustrated.      Half  cloth,  75 
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THE  WITCH'S  HEAD.     Half  cloth,  75  cents. 

MR.      MEESON'S     WILL.       Half   cloth,   75    cents  ;    paper   cover, 
25  cents. 

DAWN.     Illustrated.     Half  cloth,  75  cents. 

THE  WORLD'S  DESIRE.     By  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD  and  ANDREW 
LANG.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper  cover,  25  cents. 

KING    SOLOMON'S    MINES.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper  cover, 
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SHE.     Illustrated.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper  cover,  25  cents. 
JESS.     Half  cloth,  75  cents  ;  paper  cover,  25  cents. 


LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STREET,  NEW  YOEZ. 


WHAT    NECESSITY    KNOWS. 

A  Novel  of  Canadian  Life  and  Character. 
BY  MISS   L.    DOUGALL, 

AUTHOR   OF   "  BEGGARS  ALL." 


Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $1.OO. 

"  A  very  remarkable  novel,  and  not  a  book  that  can  be  lightly  classified  or  ranged  with 
other  modern  works  of  fiction.  .  .  .  It  is  a  distinct  creation  ...  a  structure  of 
noble  and  original  design  and  of  grand  and  dignified  conception.  .  .  .  The  book  bristles 

It  will  appeal 
and  dignity  of 


ucCp  Kiiuwicuxc  ui  muuvc  ana  cnaracier.  me  reader  coiuinuaiiy  tunica  ucius*  KCCII  uuscr- 
vations  and  subtle  expressions  that  not  infrequently  recall  George  Eliot.  The  novel  is  one 
that  is  worth  reading  a  second  time."— OUTLOOK,  NEW  YORK. 


Keen  analysis,  deeu  spiritual   insight,  and  a  quick  sense  of  beauty  in  nature  and 


— LITERARY  WORLD,  BOSTON. 


NADA   THE    LILY. 

BY  H.  RIDER  HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR  Ot  "  SHE,"   "  ALLAN  QUATERMAIN,"  ETC. 

With   23  full-page    Illustrations,  by   C.  H.  M.  Kerr. 
1  2mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental  (Copyright),  $1.OO. 

"  A  thrilling  book  full  .  .  .  of  almost  incredible  instances  of  personal  daring  and  of 
wonderful  revenge.  .  .  .  The  many  vigorous  illustrations  add  much  to  the  interest  of  a 
book  that  may  safely  be  denominated  as  Mr.  Haggard's  most  successful  venture  in  the 
writing  of  fiction." — BOSTON  BEACON. 

"  The  story  of '  Nada  the  Lily '  is  full  of  action  and  adventure ;  the  plot  is  cleverly 
wrought  and  the  fighting  and  adventure  are  described  with  spirit.  Once  begun  it  is,  indeed, 
a  story  to  be  finished." — N.  Y.  TRIBUNE. 

"  The  story  is  a  magnificent  effort  of  the  imagination  and  quite  the  best  of  all  that  Mr. 
Haggard  has  done.  There  is  no  example  of  manufactured  miracle  in  this  story,  for  the  story 
of  the  Ghost  mountain,  the  Stone  Witch,  and  the  Wolves  is  nothing  but  the  folk-lore  of  the 
African  tribes,  and  in  no  respect  similar  to  the  wonders  which  the  author  introduced  into 
the  stories  in  which  Allan  Quatermain  figures." — SPKINGFIELD  REPUBLICAN. 

"  To  my  mind  the  realization  of  savage  existence  and  the  spirit  of  it  have  never  been  so 
honestly  and  accurately  set  forth.  The  Indians  of  Chateaubriand,  and  even  of  Cooper,  are 
conventional  compared  with  these  blood-thirsty,  loyal,  and  fatalistic  Zulus.  .  .  .  The 
whole  legend  seems  to  me  to  be  a  curiously  veracious  reproduction  of  Zulu  life  and  character." 

— Mr.  ANDREW  LANG  in  the  New  Review. 

"Rider  Haggard's  latest  story  .  .  .  has  a  more  permanent  value  than  anything 
thik  prolific  author  has  previously  given  to  the  public.  He  has  preserved  in  this  latest 
romance  many  of  the  curious  tales,  traditions,  superstitions,  the  wonderful  folk-lore  of  a 
nation  now  extinct,  a  people  rapidly  melting  away  before  an  advancing  tide  of  civilization. 
The  romance  into  which  Mr.  Haggard  has  woven  valuable  material  is  in  his  own  inimitable 
style,  and  will  delight  those  who  love  the  weirdly  improbable."— BOSTON  TRAVELLER. 

LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YORK. 


HEART    OF    THE    WORLD. 

A    STORY    OF    MEXICAN    ADVENTURE. 
BY    H.    RIDER    HAGGARD, 

AUTHOR  OF  "SHE,"  "MONTEZUMA'S  DAUGHTER,"  "THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  MIST,"  STC, 


With   13  full-page  Illustrations  by  Amy  Sawyer. 
1  2mo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 

"  Here  are  strange  adventures  and  wonderful  heroisms.  The  scene  is  laid  in 
Mexico.  The  story  rehearses  the  adventures  of  an  athletic  Englishman  who  loves 
and  weds  an  Indian  princess.  There  are  marvelous  descriptions  of  the  '  City  of  the 
Heart,'  a  mysterious  town  hemmed  in  by  swamps  and  unknown  mountains." 

— COMMERCIAL  ADVERTISER,  NEW  YORK. 

"  Has  a  rare  fascination,  and  in  using  that  theme  Mr.  Haggard  has  not  only  hit 
upon  a  story  of  peculiar  charm,  but  he  has  also  wrought  out  a  story  original  and  de- 
lightful to  even  the  most  jaded  reader  of  the  novel  of  incident." 

— ADVERTISER,  BOSTON. 

"  It  is  a  fascinating  tale,  and  the  reader  will  not  want  to  put  the  book  down  till  he 
has  read  the  last  word."— PICAYUNE,  NEW  ORLEANS. 

"  The  lovers  of  Rider  Haggard's  glowing  works  have  no  reason  to  complain  of 
his  latest  book.  .  .  .  The  story  is,  all  in  all,  one  of  the  most  entertaining  of  the 
author's  whole  list." — TRAVELLER,  BOSTON. 

"  In  its  splendor  of  description,  weirdness  of  imagery,  its  astonishing  variety  of 
detail,  and  the  love  story  which  blends  with  history  ana  fantasy,  the  book  without 
doubt  is  a  creation  distinct  from  previous  tales.  Maya,  the  Lady  of  the  Heart,  is  an 
ideal  character.  .  .  .  Interest  is  sustained  throughout." — POST,  CHICAGO. 


COLONEL    NORTON. 

A  NOVEL. 
BY  FLORENCE  MONTGOMERY, 

AUTHOR  OF  "MISUNDERSTOOD,"  "THROWN  TOGETHER,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


Crown  8vo,  Buckram,   $1.5O. 

"  It  is  a  history  of  the  finding  of  a  soul,  which  is  only  found  through  the  passion  of 
a  great  love  or  an  overwhelming  sorrow.  But  the  story  is  more  than  this ;  it  is  an 
analysis  of  a  character  that  had  been  repressed.  Ruth  Ashley  is  a  delightful  creature. 
It  also  shows  the  power  of  love  to  change  and  transform  the  nature  of  a  man  sell- 
centered,  cold,  critical— in  short,  it  is  a  story  which  conveys  its  moral  without  seeming 
to  do  so.  It  has  nothing  of  the  melodramatic  in  it,  but  is  bright  and  interesting  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  healthful  in  its  every  page." — ADVERTISER,  BOSTON. 

"  The  incidents  are  numerous  and  the  story  is  interesting."— TIMES,  NEW  YORK. 

"  A  book  to  quietly  enjoy  and  consider.  It  is  not  one  to  be  hastily  scanned  and 
then  thrown  aside,  for  it  is  full  of  discussions  of  every-day  interest,  which  set  one  to 
thinking— in  fact,  it  is  this  discussive  element  of  the"  book,  rather  than  the  plot  or 
characters,  which  elicits  the  bulk  of  the  interest.  .  .  .  You  will  find  it  a  pleasant 
diversion  for  a  few  summer  hours.  .  .  .  " — TIMES,  BOSTON. 

"  It  is  a  very  good  tale.  .  .  .  There  is  some  very  strong  writing  in  the  book, 
one  passage  in  particular,  where  Captain  Hardy  rescues  Maud  from  his  sinking  ship." 

— PICAYUNE,  NEW  ORLEANS. 


LONGMANS,  GBEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YORK 


THE  JEWEL  OF  YNYS  GALON 

BEING   A    HITHERTO    UNPRINTED    CHAPTER    IN 
THE    HISTORY  OF   THE    SEA    ROVERS. 

BY  OWEN   RHOSCOMYL. 


With  1  2  Illustrations  by  Lancelot  Speed. 
Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 


"  The  tale  is  exceptionally  well  told  ;  the  descriptive  passages  are  strong  and  viv- 
id without  being  over-elaborated  ;  and  the  recital  of  fights  and  adventures  on  sea  and 
laud  is  thrilling,  without  leading  to  any  excess  of  horrors.  The  characters  in  the  book 
are  not  all  villians,  but  the  progress  of  the  narrative  is  lighted  up  by  the  ideals  and 
strivings  of  brave  and  honorable  men.  The  book  is  certainly  a  most  attractive  addi- 
tion to  fiction  of  adventure,  for  it  shows  a  fine  degree  of  imagination  on  the  part  of  the 
author.  A  glance  at  the  illustrations  by  Lancelot  Speed  will  alone  be  enough  to  incite 
a  reading  of  the  story  from  beginning  to  end."'  —  THE  BEACON,  BOSTON. 

"  It  is  a  work  of  genius—  of  the  romantic-realistic  school.  The  story  is  one  of 
pirates  and  buried  treasure  in  an  island  off  the  coast  of  Wales,  and  so  well  is  it  done 
that  it  fascinates  the  reader,  putting  him  under  an  hypnotic  spell,  lasting  long  after  the 
book  has  been  laid  aside.  It  is  dedicated  to  'every  one  whose  blood  rouses  at  a  tale 
of  tall  fights  and  reckless  adventure,'  to  men  and  boys  alike,  yet  there  will  be  keener 


appreciation  by  the  boys  of  larger  growth,  whose  dreams  '  of  buried  treasure  and  of 
one  day  discovering  some  hoard  whereby  to  become  rich  beyond  imagination  '  have 
become  dim  and  blurred  in  the  '  toil  and  struggle  for  subsistence.'  '  The  Jewel  of  Ynys 
Galon'  is  one  of  the  great  books  of  1895  and  will  live  long."—  THE  WORLD,  NEW  YORK. 

"  It  is  a  splendid  story  of  the  sea,  of  battle  and  hidden  treasure.  This  picture  of 
the  times  of  the  sea  rovers  is  most  skillfully  drawn  in  transparent  and  simple  English, 
and  it  holds  from  cover  to  cover  the  absorbed  interest  of  the  reader." 

—  PRESS,  PHILADELPHIA. 

"  It  is  a  story  after  the  heart  of  both  man  and  boy.  There  are  no  dull  moments  in 
it,  and  we  find  ourselves  impatient  to  get  on,  so  anxious  are  we  to  see  what  the  next 
turn  in  the  events  is  to  bring  forth  ;  and  when  we  come  to  the  end  we  exclaim  in 
sorrow,  "  Is  that  all?  "  and  begin  to  turn  back  the  leaves  and  re-read  some  of  the  most 
exciting  incidents. 

Owen  Rhoscomyl  has  just  the  talents  for  writing  books  of  this  kind,  and  they  are 
worth  a  dozen  of  some  of  the  books  of  to-day  where  life  flows  sluggishly  on  in  a  draw- 
ing-room. When  the  author  writes  another  we  want  to  know  of  it."  —  TIMES,  BOSTON. 

"  The  style  of  this  thrilling  story  is  intensely  vivid  and  dramatic,  but  there  is 
nothing  in  it  of  the  cheap  sensational  order.  It  is  worthy  a  place  among  the  classics 
for  boys."  —  ADVERTISER,  BOSTON. 

"The  present  school  of  romantic  adventure  has  produced  no  more  strikingly  im- 
aginative story  than  this  weird  tale  of  Welsh  pirates  in  the  eighteenth  century.  .  .  . 
A  most  enthralling  tale,  .  .  .  told  with  great  artistic  finish  and  with  intense  spirit. 
It  may  be  recommended  without  reserve  to  every  lover  of  this  class  of  fiction." 

—  TIMES,  PHILADELPHIA. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  best  things  of  its  kind  that  have  appeared  in  a  long  time.  .  .  . 
We  do  not  know  how  far  this  tale  may  be  taken  to  be  historical,  and,  to  be  frank, 
we  don't  care.  If  these  things  did  not  happen,  they  might  have  happened,  and  ought 
to  have  happened,  and  that  is  enough  for  us.  If  you  like  'Treasure  Island'  and 
'  Kidnapped  '  and  the  '  White  Company  '  and  '  Francis  Cludde  '  and  '  Lorna  Doone,' 
get  '  The  Jewel  of  Ynys  Galon  '  and  read  it.  You  will  not  be  disappointed." 

—  GAZETTE,  COLORADO  SPRINGS,  COL. 

"Our  own  interest  in  the  book  led  us  to  read  it  at  a  sitting  that  went  far  into  the 
night.  The  old  Berserker  spirit  is  considerably  abroad  in  these  pages,  and  the  blood 
coursed  the  faster  as  stirring  incident  followed  desperate  situation  and  daring  enter- 
prise."— LITERARY  WORLD,  LONDON. 

LONGMANS,  GKEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YORK, 


MICAH   CLARKE. 

His  statement  as  made  to  his  three  Grandchildren,  Joseph,  Gervas,  and 
Reuben,  during  the  hard  Winter  of  1734. 

BY  A.   CONAN   DOYLE, 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THB  FOLK-STAR,"  "THE  REFUGEES,"  ETC. 


Author's  Edition.    Cloth,  Ornamental,  $1.25. 

"  The  language  has  the  quaintness  of  old  times,  and  the  descriptions  are  so  vivid  and 
home-like  as  to  make  us  feel  that  we  are  listening  to  them  ourselves  ;  indeed,  the  story  stands 
very  high  among  historical  novels,  and  will  be  of  great  interest  to  any  one  who  has  lollowed 
the  more  critical  setting  forth  of  the  troubles  preceding  the  Restoration  found  in  the  regular 
histories.  The  author  has  succeeded  in  giving  us  the  genuine  flavor  of  former  days.'' 

— PUBLIC  OPINION. 

"...    There  is  a  great  deal  of  vivid,  thrilling  description.'' — THE  NATION. 

"  Wonderfully  vivid  and  realistic,  full  of  the  color  of  the  time,  and  characterized  by  re- 
markable power,  .  .  .  there  are  so  many  pieces  of  excellent  workmanship  in  '  Micab 
Clarke '  that  it  would  take  too  long  to  name  them." — N.  Y.  TRIBUNE. 

"  We  make  bold  to  say  that  .  .  .  this  story  of  Mr.  Doyle's  is  easily  the  best  exam- 
ple of  the  class  of  fiction  to  which  it  belongs  of  the  year.  Two  descriptions  of  battles  in 
this  story  are,  it  seems  to  us,  among  the  most  brilliant  and  spirited  bits  of  writing  we  have 
lately  had.  But  it  is  not  merely  two  or  three  striking  incidents,  but  the  maintained  interest 
of  the  entire  tale,  that  leads  us  to  give  it  such  praise  as  we  have  risked  above.  We  shall 
look  with  interest  for  a  second  story  from  Mr.  Doyle's  pen."— CHRISTIAN  UNION. 

"  It  is  due  to  the  dramatic  power  of  the  author  that  this  story  becomes  so  absorbing*. 
There  is  quickness  and  vivacity  in  it,  and  the  story  of  the  soldier  of  fortune  of  that  day, 
Saxon,  whe  has  acquired  this  military  art  in  Germany,  is  capitally  told.  .  .  .  Mr. 
Doyle  never  pauses.,  and  sc  the  reader  can  go  at  full  gallop  through  the  story." — N.  Y.  TIMES. 


THE   CAPTAIN   OF   THE   POLE-STAR: 

And  Other  Tales. 

BY  A.   CONAN   DOYLE. 


Crown    8vo,    cloth,    $1.25. 


"  Lovers  of  wild  adventure,  of  brilliant  satire,  of  quiet  pathos,  will  all  find  wherewith  tc 
be  content  in  the  little  book,  which,  in  its  variety  of  subject  and  treatment,  reads  more  like  a 
volume  of  stories  from  Maga  than  a  collection  of  tales  from  one  of  the  same  pen." 

— ATHENAEUM,  London. 


"  This  volume  of  short  stories  proves  Mr.  Doyle  to  be  an  expert  of  the  most  delightful 
and  skillfull  kind  in  tales  of  mystery,  imagination,  and  fancy.  .  .  .  The  book  forms  a 
most  delightful  addition  to  the  too  poor  literature  of  good  short  stories." 

— SCOTSMAN  ATHENAEUM. 

"  AH  the  stories  will  repay  careful  reading,  as  in  addition  to  the  interest  of  the  plot* 
the  style  is  singularly  varied  and  raveals  as  many  devices  of  the  literary  artist  as  that  of 
Robert  Louis  Stevenson.'1 — SAN  FRANCISCO  CHRONICLE. 


LONGMANS,  GEEEN,  &  00.,  15  EAST  16th  STEEET,  NEW  YOEK 


TRAL  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
'ersity  of  California,  San  Diego 

DATE  DUE 


